Vesuvius Exploded in August—So Why Were Pompeii Victims Wearing Heavy Clothing?

Many scholars agree that Mount Vesuvius exploded on August 24th, 79 CE, burying Pompeii and Herculaneum. So why were some unfortunate victims wearing heavy wool clothing on the day they perished? Such is the question posed by intriguing new research.

The date of this well-known tragedy is actually a contentious topic among historians of Pompeii. The University of Valencia’s ÁTROPOS research group on the culture of death has joined the debate by analyzing victims’ clothing. After studying 14 casts from Pompeii, the interdisciplinary team determined that some victims were dressed in wool tunics and cloaks both indoors and outside—and the wool’s weaving suggests it was extremely heavy.

Llorenç Alapont, a University of Valencia archaeologist and anthropologist, presented the research at an international congress on the date of the Vesuvius eruption.

“Clearly heavy wool”

“The clothing worn by the victims suggests not only the possibility of a colder-than-usual climate, but also a day with a harmful environment from which they needed to protect themselves,” Alapont highlighted in his presentation, according to a University of Valencia statement. “Of the fourteen casts studied, in four cases it was possible to determine both the type of clothing and how it was woven—clearly heavy wool.”

When the volcano erupted, it covered the ancient Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in volcanic material, preserving their last moments with mind-boggling precision. While some remains disintegrated over the following centuries, scholars were able to immortalize their shapes and positions—notably, those of humans—by filling the voids with plaster to create casts. Some of these casts were fine enough to preserve the victim’s outfits, down to the make of the fabric.

“From studying the casts, we can learn how people dressed on a specific day in history. We can also infer the type of fabric they wore and how the threads were woven,” Alapont said. “In this case, the weave is thick. Most of the victims wore two garments: a tunic and a cloak, both made of wool. We do not know if this particular clothing was intended to protect them from the gases or from the ambient heat generated by the volcanic eruption.”

When was Pompeii buried?

While at the time wool was admittedly an ordinary and inexpensive textile, the fact that individuals were donning two layers while running from Vesuvius’ eruption indicates that the area was experiencing unusual temperatures for late August.

What’s more, “our study has also determined that, when compared to other casts, those taken indoors and those taken outdoors displayed the same fabric weaves. People were dressed in the same garments inside and outside their homes,” Alapont added.

While the most widely accepted date for the volcanic explosion is 24 August 79 CE, it remains a subject of debate. For example, fall fruits and braziers in houses with ember remains among the ancient ruins indicate that the fateful event might have occurred later, according to the statement. It remains to be seen what further research reveals about one of antiquity’s best-known tragedies, including exactly when it took place.