Estelle Lazer facts for kids
Dr. Estelle Lazer is an amazing archaeologist. She studies old places and things. She has worked in many countries. These include the Middle East, Italy, and Australia. She also teaches at two big universities in Sydney. For her PhD, she studied human bones. These bones were found at the ancient city of Pompeii. She spent seven seasons working there.
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Uncovering Secrets of Pompeii's Victims
Estelle Lazer is an archaeologist from Australia. She is also a physical anthropologist. This means she studies human remains. She looked closely at the bones from Pompeii. She found some interesting things.
Many people thought that only the very old, young, or sick died in Pompeii. They believed others escaped. But Dr. Lazer's study of the bones showed something different. She thinks the victims were a good mix of people. They were men and women, young and old. There might have been even more children. This is because children's bones do not always last as long.
The bones also showed that the people of Pompeii were healthy. They ate well. Their size was similar to people in Naples today. Women were about 154 cm tall. Men were about 167 cm tall. About 10 percent of the skeletons showed signs of arthritis. Some had a type of arthritis usually seen in older people.
What Teeth Tell Us About Ancient Pompeiians
Dr. Lazer also looked at many skulls. The teeth in these skulls showed a lot of wear. They were much more worn than teeth today. Some were worn down to the gum line. This would have been very painful.
This tooth wear was likely caused by grit and small stones. These bits got into the bread. They came from the millstone used to grind wheat into flour. Some teeth had holes, called cavities. Others had a lot of plaque. This would have caused bad breath. There were also signs of gum disease. And some had painful infections called abscesses. These were linked to decayed teeth. There was no sign of dentists helping. No teeth were pulled, filled, or replaced.
The Mystery of the Lady of Oplontis
In 1994, a special body cast came to Australia. It was part of an exhibition about Pompeii. With permission, this cast was X-rayed in Sydney. Dr. Estelle Lazer and a team of doctors studied it. This was the first high-tech look at a Pompeii victim.
The study found that the "Lady of Oplontis" was between 30 and 40 years old. She was healthy, except for her teeth. She was 1.5 meters tall. She wore clothes and a gold bracelet. She was holding a money purse when she died. The cast showed her body in a "pugilist pose." This pose happens when bodies are exposed to extreme heat. It makes muscles suddenly tighten.
How Did People Die in Pompeii?
From her studies, Dr. Lazer found three main ways people died in Pompeii:
- Asphyxiation: This means they could not breathe. Dr. Lazer thinks this was a major cause of death.
- Thermal shock: This was caused by sudden, extreme heat. It made muscles contract quickly. This is why many bodies are in the "pugilist pose."
- Concussion: This means a brain injury. It happened from falling debris and collapsing houses. The eruption caused many small earthquakes.
