Preservation work on Pompeii’s frozen victims of a volcanic eruption reveal the loving last moments of a mansion’s children

THE earth shook. The air burned to 300C. A terrified little boy scrambled for the safety of his mother’s lap. Now, more than 2000 on later, he’s emerged.

CREDIT: AFP ONLINE USE ONLY Stefano Vanacore, director of the laboratory of Pompeii Archaeological Site, carries a petrified victim of the eruption of Vesuvius volcano in 79 BC, during the restoration work and the study of 86 casts, on May 20, 2015 in Pompeii Archaeological site. AFP PHOTO / MARIO LAPORTA

THE earth shook. The air burned. A terrified little boy scrambled for the safety of his mother’s lap. Now, more than 2000 years later, he’s finally emerged from his tragic embrace in the buried city of Pompeii.

It was 79BC when Mount Vesuvius erupted. The volcano had been restless. But some residents of the agricultural city of Pompeii below had not been frightened enough to leave their homes.

When the eruption finally came in November, the town — and its inhabitants — were suddenly swamped under a flow of superheated gas and ash.

Tragedy frozen in time ... A petrified parent and child, victims of Vesuvius Volcan eruption of 79AD, undergoing conservation work inside a laboratory in Pompeii. Source: AFP

Estimates vary, but somewhere between 10,000 and 25,000 people were killed in the event.

The petrified remains of Pompeii’s residents — their outlines cast by the slowly solidifying ash — tell the tale of the city’s last moments.

Many were found clustered in the warehouses and docks of the port — desperately seeking space on the last remaining boats. Others were found huddled in public places and their homes.

This four-year-old boy’s story is just one of the most recent, and most poignant, to emerge.

Eternally young ... Stefano Vanacore, director of the laboratory of Pompeii Archaeological Site, carries one of the petrified children. Source: AFP

At the height of the terror he sought solace in his mother’s lap. The remains of his father and a sibling were found, fallen, close by.

Their remains were found in what archaeologists call the House of the Golden Bracelet. It was one of the area’s more luxurious homes. Some assume this family was its owners.

Cast in stone ... A restorer cleans and analyses the remains of one of 86 casts in Pompeii. Picture: AFP

It was a picturesque place, full of finely detailed frescoes, bronze and stone statues, and a large garden. It had a spectacular view of the nearby sea.

Death, it seems, was instantaneous: The cloud of volcanic gas and debris was estimated to be some 300C — more than capable of carbonising organic material within moments.

Human toll ... Work takes place on the restoration and study of victims in the laboratory of Pompeii Archaeological Site. Source: AFP

The job of preserving and restoring the bodies has been an emotional experience for the museum’s staff.

“Even though it happened 2000 years ago, it could be a boy, a mother, or a family. It’s human archeology, not just archeology,” said Naples National Archaeological Museum conservator Stefania Giudice.

Delicate work ... Preservation work on a cast and body from the Pompeii Archaeological Site. Source: AFP

“It can be very moving handling these remains when we apply the plaster,” Giudice said.

The restored remains of the family and 82 other individuals are the centre of a new exhibition in the Amphitheatre of Pompeii which opened at the weekend.