11-30-2006, 05:16 PM
I believe that most of the Herculaneum skeletons were found in sort of a large boathouse along the beach. For a long time, people thought the population had largely escaped since there were few dead in the town, but in fact they later found very many skeletons along the shore. Apparently many people had fled to the shore, but having nowhere else to go had gone into there to shelter from the hot ash.
However, the shelter was only enclosed on three side, the front side was made up of open arches. Eventually, the boathouses filled with poisonous gases and later ash. I did not think that the Herculaneum residents really died from being burned to death by ash, but rather from suffocating on the gases, though I could be wrong about that. I didn't think they burned to death.
However, the shelter was only enclosed on three side, the front side was made up of open arches. Eventually, the boathouses filled with poisonous gases and later ash. I did not think that the Herculaneum residents really died from being burned to death by ash, but rather from suffocating on the gases, though I could be wrong about that. I didn't think they burned to death.
-Christy Beall
