Explain the mystery of the ancient tombs in Pompeii

Scientists have explained the mystery of the ancient tombs on the outskirts of Pompeii, Italy.

They show the political contradictions of the ancient Romans around the social war in this country.

Social war

The city of Pompeii , famous for the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, was annexed into the Roman state at the beginning of the 1st century BC along with other cities in Southern Campania (southern Gulf of Naples) .

This series of territorial mergers occurred due to the social war between Rome and its former allies in Italy from 91 to 88 BC.

On the outskirts of Pompeii, scientists can find hundreds of tombs with very unusual shapes. Known as 'columelle' (Latin is a small pillar ), they are rectangular stones that are inserted directly into the ground with the head being a circular disk representing the head. 'Small pillar' has puzzled archaeologists for years.

Exotic shaped tombs in Pompeii, Italy.(Photo: Flickr Creative commons).

There are structures and meanings different from the types of tombs recorded at the same period. The tombs may have been built in pre-Roman times, some archaeologists argued.

They described them as unique objects in the culture and faith of Pompeii residents and neighboring areas. The columelle here was created before these cities were merged with Rome, experts added.

However, recent analysis shows that the 'small pillar' in Pompeii was built after the middle of the 1st century BC (post-Roman), when cities merged completely into the state.

The paradox of the appearance of the tomb has attracted archaeologists. They continued to learn about the origin and why they appeared in Roman times. A lot of research has been done to find the purpose they were built, but only a few approached the answer by looking farther than the vast context of the empire.

In a study published by the American Journal of Archeology, Allison Emmerson, an archaeologist from the Department of Classical Studies at Tulane University (USA), proposed new hypotheses that could solve the puzzle. about 'small pillars': what do they mean to the people of South Campania and why was built at such a time so far ?.

Uncover the unique culture

In the pre-Roman period, cities south of the Bay of Naples were thought to have cultural differences with the rest of Italy.

Consequences of social wars manifest specifically in major social and political fluctuations. The entire Italian peninsula, including the above cities, was unified for the first time under a single rule. The event threatens to erase the distinctive culture of the southern population of Campania.

Emmerson argued that the 'small pillar' in Pompeii was not pre-Roman objects that were later introduced into the Roman period as many other scholars once said. Instead, she wrote that the graves were built specifically for purposes around Pompeii and other southern cities shortly after the unification day.

'The merger of cities under one roof made people in the regions change their perception of their own existence as well as others, who were previously residents of an autonomous city but now was Roman. 'The small pillar' was built as a response to praise and promote its own culture, " Emmerson told IBTimes.

"Small pillar" is a cultural characteristic of people in southern Campania.(Photo: Flickr Creative commons).

In essence, columelle may have appeared long before the Romans ruled the world. Each pillar is a mass grave of families (including slaves) in ancient times. They are shaped like the upper half of the body, much simpler than the other tombs of the same period.

Emmerson also commented that although the 'small pillar' may appear before Roman times, they are not as ancient as other experts have argued. Although no specific note confirming this construction technique has appeared elsewhere in this era, this particular tomb may be a unique part of the burial culture of the Pompeii people and Southern Campania cities before the social war occurred.

Archaeologists also believe that these beers were erected after the war. They seem to be a political statement that shows the view in the rest of the peninsula: Although it has been merged, these cities possess their own cultural identity.

'Often when looking at' beautiful days are too much ', we often exaggerate and make reforms leading to some false statements about historical events. Basically, people in ancient cities just want to emphasize and honor their culture ' , archaeologists added.

The 'small pillar' should be seen as the final reaction of the people of the ancient cities of the southern Bay of Naples to honor their unique existence and culture.