Ancient Gold Coins and Skeletons Found In Pompeii Excavation

Artifacts serve as a window of the past. Discoveries of items belonging to the ancient civilization matter to mankind today as they explain how the older generation lived. Just like how fascinated archeologists were when they recently found gold coins, a pendant necklace and skeletons in the ruins of an ancient shop in Pompeii.

The ruins date back 2,000 years after Mount Vesuvius buried the Roman town of Pompeii in tons of ashes. But until today the excavation site still reveals secrets from the past. Archaeologists announced that they unearthed the artifacts within Pompeii's Herculaneum Gate based on reports from the Archeological Superintendency of Pompeii and Huffington Post.

The recent excavation started in May near Porta Ercolano. Aside from human skeletons, gold coins were also found underneath what believes to be an ancient shop according to Forbes. Limestone slabs and funerary equipment were also seen from the excavation site, a clear evidence of burial practice during the pre-Roman times.

In a press release by the Archeological Superintendency of Pompeii, it was revealed that one of the skeletons might be a male individual. Not far from what is believed to be a funeral site, three gold coins and a pendant necklace were also found together with some skeletons. An oven believed to be used for manufacturing objects in bronze and a quarry for the extraction of materials was also discovered. Jean Bérard together with his team is conducting a research on the necropolis area Herculaneum Gate, for his study of the transformations of a commercial area outside Pompeii.

The eruption in 79 A.D. plays a big role in this study. The shops are believed to be a shelter where people hid during the eruption. The ancient shops hold so many artifacts that could enlighten researchers in their studies. However, looters were first to access the site in search of treasures displacing some bones in the area, according to reports. It is evident because of the disheveled position of the remains as compared to other Pompeii site where the bones were excavated in their natural state. These are the remains of those who weren't able to escape the eruption, they remain buried in ash and were preserved until they were excavated hundreds of years later.

Archeologists believe that there is a third ancient city still buried beneath the ashes and it could be the next target for excavation.