Skeleton of man crushed to death, decapitated by falling rock in Pompeii uncovered

THE skeleton of a man crushed to death and decapitated by an enormous rock as he tried to flee the explosion at Mount Vesuvius 2000 years ago has been discovered in Pompeii.

THE skeleton of a disabled man crushed to death by an enormous rock as he tried to flee the devastating explosion at Mount Vesuvius 2000 years ago has been dug up in Pompeii.

The 35-year-old victim was seemingly beheaded by a hurtling stone that also crushed his thorax, experts claim.

But archaeologists have not been able to track down his head, reports The Sun. Officials said the man suffered an infection of the tibia, which may have caused walking difficulties, hindering his escape.

Anthropologist Valeria Amoretti works with a brush on a skeleton of a victim of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, which destroyed the ancient town of Pompeii. Picture: Ciro Fusco/ANSA via AP

Anthropologist Valeria Amoretti carefully uncovers the skeleton of a victim of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, which destroyed the ancient town of Pompeii. Picture: Ciro Fusco/ANSA via AP

The archaeological site’s general director, Massimo Osanna, called it “an exceptional find” that contributes to a better “picture of the history and civilisation of the age”.

Pompeii officials released an image showing the skeleton protruding from underneath a 300-kilo block of stone believed to be a door jamb.

They claim the “volcanic cloud” would have “violently thrown” the massive rock during the eruption that left around 30,000 people dead in 79AD.

The skeleton was found during recent excavations and is believed to be of a 35-year-old man with a limp. Picture: Ciro Fusco/ANSA via AP

The man was hit by a pyroclastic cloud during the eruption. Picture: Ciro Fusco/ANSA via AP

The skeleton was discovered at a recently uncovered area of the Pompeii archaeological site near Naples, Italy.

It follows a series of major finds over the past several weeks.

The body was found close to the alleyway of balconies unearthed earlier this month that experts plan to restore into their original state for public tours.

Before that, archaeologists dug up an ancient horse outside the city walls, to the north of Pompeii proper, which they were able to cast to complete its figure.

This process involves injecting liquid plaster into the cavities left behind when bodies encased in volcanic ash from the eruption decomposed.

The same technique has been used to recreate the final poses of dozens of Pompeii’s victims.

This story first appeared in The Sun.