Archaeologists have discovered an incredible array of amulets, gems, and lucky charms in Pompeii. Researchers think that the mysterious trove belonged to a female sorcerer who could have been a victim of the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius more than 2,000 years ago.
The experts found more than 100 miniature objects in a wooden crate that had all but decomposed except for its bronze hinges. Inside the box was a hoard that includes miniature dolls, phallic amulets, necklace beads, and a tiny skull among other objects made of bone, bronze, glass, and amber. The researchers determined that the amulets would have belonged to a woman, and were likely used for adornment or protection in the years before Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, burying the city and its population in volcanic ash.
“They are objects of everyday life in the female world and are extraordinary because they tell micro-stories and biographies of the inhabitants of the city who tried to escape the eruption,” said Pompeii’s general director, Massimo Osanna, in a statement. In the same house, the team discovered a room containing the bodies of ten victims, which included women and children. Using DNA analysis, archaeologists are trying to establish if the victims were related.
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