This Week In History News, May 27 – June 2

Published June 1, 2018

Decapitated skeleton uncovered at Pompeii, strange discovery found inside supposed hawk mummy sarcophagus, bodies buried with extraordinary riches unearthed at Ancient Roman city.

Headless Skeleton Of Man Trying To Flee Vesuvius Eruption Found At Pompeii

Pompeii Skeleton Discovery

Las Vegas Review-Journal/AP

Although the historic eruption of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius and its subsequent destruction of the city of Pompeii happened in 79 A.D., archaeologists are still making new discoveries that reveal the extent of the horrors.

On May 29, archaeologists at the Pompeii excavation site uncovered the skeleton of a man whose head was likely crushed by a massive stone as he was fleeing the eruption, according to CNN.

Discover the full story here.

They Thought They Were Unwrapping An Egyptian Hawk Mummy — But Found Something Stranger

Hawk Mummy

Maidstone Museum UK/Nikon Metrology UKWhat was thought the a mummy of a hawk was actually a stillborn fetus.

In the United Kingdom’s Maidstone Museum, there sits a tiny Egyptian mummy, labeled as ‘EA 493 – Mummified Hawk Ptolemaic Period.’ Due to the size and the bird-like decorations, it was long thought to be an entombed hawk.

But after recent micro-CT scans were done, researchers made a startling discovery. It was revealed that the misidentified sarcophagus actually contained a stillborn fetus between 23 and 28 weeks old, with a severely malformed skull.

Dig deeper here.

Skeletons Buried With Extraordinary Riches Unearthed At Ancient Roman City

Unearthed Skulls

REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Archaeologists recently found two skeletons dating all the way back to the ancient Roman era of perhaps the first century A.D. But what might be even more impressive is what they found buried alongside the bodies.

During the dig at the former site of the ancient Roman city of Viminacium in presdent-day Serbia, archaeologists found a wealth of gold and silver jewels as well as perfume bottles and even expensive hairpins (needless to say, the bodies belonged to people of the upper class).

And this discovery comes from just the tiny fraction of the Viminacium site that researchers have excavated thus far. There are likely many more treasures yet to find.

Read more at Reuters.

author
All That's Interesting
author
Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.