Research conducted under a scientific collaboration agreement between the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and the Archaeological Park of Pompeii has reconstructed the effects of the seismicity that characterized the 79 A.D. eruption of Vesuvius on the ancient city of Pompeii and its inhabitants. The integration of volcanological data - regarding the detailed sequence of deposits sedimented during the various phases of the eruption - and anthropological data - regarding the number and severity of skeletal fractures associated with crushing trauma - along with the analysis of wall injuries and dislocations, showed how Pompeii and its inhabitants suffered the destructive and deadly effects of seismicity during the eruption, in addition to those already known to result from volcanic phenomena. The eruption began in the late morning but it was not until around 1 p.m. that the paroxysmal phase began. An eruptive column rose on the volcano, reaching a maximum height of more than 30 km, and a shower of pumice began to fall on Pompeii prompting Pompeians to take refuge or stay in buildings, as did the two individuals whose skeletons were the subject of the study. The accumulation of pumice caused some roofs to collapse and the first casualties among those who had sought shelter. After the pumice rain ended, a brief decline in eruptive activity probably led survivors to believe that the worst was over, but it was not.
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