Three Italian archaeological discoveries: Pompeii, the Karst Plateau and Aquileia
New analyses indicate that a victim of the Vesuvius eruption at Pompeii was a physician; an excavation campaign in the Tina Jama cave expands knowledge of the Trieste Karst; at Aquileia three fragments believed to be original parts of the Gospel of Saint Mark have been identified.
Three distinct findings are enriching the picture of Italian archaeological research these days. At Pompeii, new analyses carried out on human remains found at the site indicate that one of the victims of the Vesuvius eruption practised the profession of physician. The finding adds a piece to the reconstruction of daily life in the city buried by the eruption, making it possible to place the social role of at least one of the individuals overwhelmed by the disaster with greater precision.
On the Trieste Karst, a research campaign carried out in the Tina Jama cave has brought new archaeological finds to light. The discovery expands knowledge of human presence in the cavity, a finding that fits within the broader line of studies devoted to prehistoric and historic occupation of the Karst caves along Italy’s north-eastern border.
At Aquileia, finally, a group of researchers has identified three fragments believed to be original parts of the Gospel of Saint Mark. The find is described as significant for the history of the city’s early Christian basilica, one of the reference sites for the study of early Christianity in north-eastern Italy.
The three reports currently stem from a single source (Archeologia Viva); no independent confirmation is currently available for any of the three finds, nor for the dating or attribution methodologies employed in the respective analyses.
The three cases, though concerning very different chronological and geographical contexts — the 79 AD Vesuvius eruption at Pompeii, Karst cave occupation in the north-east, and the early Christian basilica of Aquileia — share the fact that they stem from ongoing research campaigns, the complete results of which have not yet been made public in the form of a full scientific publication, according to the source.
It remains to be seen whether the three discoveries will be confirmed through peer-reviewed academic publications, a step that would allow the preliminary data released so far to be consolidated.
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