Military officer’s stable preserved under ash from eruption of Mount Vesuvius
Specialists examine the preserved horse’s remains within an ancient stable during the excavation process. Photo: Cesare Abbate/EPA
Archaeologists have discovered the fossilized remnants of a saddled horse and its saddle within the stable of an ancient villa located in a suburb of Pompeii.
According to Massimo Osanna, the director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, the villa is believed to have belonged to a prominent military figure, potentially a high-ranking general, from ancient Roman history.
The excavation of the stable zone. Photo: Cesare Abbate/AP
Osanna гeⱱeаɩed on Sunday that the remains of two to three additional horses had been uncovered as well. The villa’s terraces provided panoramic views of the Bay of Naples and the island of Capri. Although the area underwent excavation in the early 1900s, it was subsequently reburied.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 deⱱаѕtаted the thriving city of Pompeii, located near present-day Naples. Osanna explains that the horses perished due to ѕᴜffoсаtіпɡ volcanic ash or scalding steam. He expresses the hope that the villa will eventually reopen to the public for visits.