Nola-Croce del Papa

Nola-Croce del Papa was an early Bronze age village discovered in May 2001 in the Campania region near Nola, Italy.^[1] The settlement has been described as the "first Pompeii" by archaeologists.^[2]

Discovery

The discovery of two bodies which had been caught by the Pyroclastic flow as they were fleeing a Volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius led archaeologists to find the lost settlement.^[2] The eruption, which took place in the 2nd millennium BC, covered the village in volcanic ash. The remains of livestock such as goats were found,^[2] and various Fossils were also found as mud had flowed into the structures and preserved various foodstuffs and plants.^[3]

Findings

Of the entire settlement only three structures remained intact after the eruption. No human remains have been found in the settlement leading archaeologists to believe the populace had escaped, although not all had made it to safety. The lack of personal belongings in the settlement also lead to the belief that the people were given enough time to gather their most precious belongings before leaving.^[2]

See also

• Avellino eruption

References

1. ^ Gosden, Chris; Lock, Gary (8 November 2007). Communities and connections: essays in honour of Barry Cunliffe. Oxford University Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0199230341. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Albore Livadie, Claude (December 2002). Antiquity (Antiquity Publications) 76 (294): 941–942. [1]
3. ^ Cavulli, Fabio; Prudêncio, Maria Isabel; Dias, Maria Isabel (2009). Defining a Methodological Approach to Interpret Structural Evidence. Archaeopress. p. 76. ISBN 978 1 4073 0621 6.