Uncovering fresh insights about life in ancient Pompeii by archaeologists

In a groundbreaking study, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii Archaeological Park, has shed light on the lesser-known chapter of Pompeii's history – the reoccupation of the city following the devastating AD 79 eruption.

Zuchtriegel's research, revealed through restoration work in the city's southern quarter, suggests that the community in the reoccupied Pompeii may have experienced a significant drop in population. The inhabitants, likely those with no other options, such as people with no other properties or relatives, returned to Pompeii in search of shelter and valuable items in the ruins.

Life in the reoccupied Pompeii was far from the city's former glory. The community resettled in a shadow of its former self, more like a precarious slum with makeshift shelters. No temples or public buildings were found during the reoccupation; instead, private dwellings were carved out of the surviving upper storeys of buried buildings. The lower levels of buildings became cellars and caves, fitted with hearths, ovens, and even small mills.

The resilience of the community in these extreme conditions is noted by Zuchtriegel as "quite astonishing." However, the community may have faced new forms of poverty and hardship linked to the disintegration of the central government and the potential decline of the Western Roman Empire.

The community in the reoccupied Pompeii may have also been impacted by migration due to historical events. Zuchtriegel suggests a possible general demographic drop during this period. The city remained inhabited in this precarious form until the 5th century AD, when it was finally abandoned, possibly due to another eruption around AD 472 or the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.

The resettlement also offered the chance to recover treasure buried beneath the ash, including metal, statues, coins, and marble. However, the interest in finding the marvellously preserved artworks of AD 79 had overshadowed earlier observations of the reoccupation of Pompeii.

This new research indicates that Pompeii was reoccupied soon after the AD 79 eruption and remained inhabited until at least the 5th century. The community may have faced a combination of eruptions and historical events leading to its eventual disappearance. The story of the reoccupied Pompeii serves as a testament to human resilience in the face of adversity.