Remains of pregnant tortoise shed light on Pompeii’s destruction
Archaeologists in Pompeii have found the remains of a pregnant tortoise that had sought refuge in a home destroyed by an earthquake in 62AD, only to be covered by volcanic ash and rock when Mount Vesuvius erupted 17 years later.
The 14cm-long Hermann’s tortoise and her egg were discovered during excavations of an area of the city that, after the earthquake levelled Pompeii, was being rebuilt for the construction of public baths, officials said.
