Archaeologists have uncovered moving evidence of a family’s desperate attempt to survive the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE in a house named “Helle and Phrixus” after a fresco of the mythological siblings. The remains of four people, including a child, were found in a bedroom. The remains of a bed were also discovered, probably used as a door barricade to protect against falling ash and lapilli that entered through the open roof of the atrium.
The house was richly decorated with frescoes and furnished with everyday objects such as bronze vessels and amphorae of garum, indicating the high social status of its inhabitants. The found building materials suggest that the building was undergoing renovation at the time of the disaster.
Despite attempts to protect themselves from the elements, the inhabitants were unable to escape the destructive force of the eruption.
