The Roman city of Pompeii was the site of one of Antiquity’s biggest tragedies. Between 10,000 and 20,000 people lived in it in AD79. When the nearby Vesuvius volcano erupted, Pompeii (and most of its inhabitants) were buried under ash. The city was destroyed almost instantly; thousands were killed. The city, including its buildings, was sealed by ash and seemed untouched until its rediscovery in the 16th century.

Now, archaeologists in Italy have found evidence that survivors returned to the devastated city much sooner.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director general of the archaeological park in Pompeii and lead author of a report about the new findings, says after the eruption, Pompeii became less of a proper city and more of a “precarious and gray agglomeration”, a type of encampment or favela.

Survivors and Scavengers

Some experts had previously proposed that people returned to Pompeii after Vesuvius’ eruption. It was one of the biggest cities in the Roman Empire, after all. But there was little evidence to back this idea up.

Previous excavations had destroyed much of this possible evidence in their rush to reach the Roman remains. Modern archaeologists know better and appreciate the importance of preservation, but early archaeologists just wanted to reach the cool artifacts and buildings. With so many remains buried beneath the ash, it’s hard to blame them, but their approach means they destroyed a lot of subtler evidence in their work.

Nowadays, most of the evidence for this post-eruption occupation has probably been wiped out. “The faint traces of the site’s reoccupation were literally removed and often swept away without any documentation,” Zuchtriegel said.

But not all of it.

The new excavations took place in the Insula Meridionalis, the southern quarter of the ancient center of Pompeii. The ruins needed some conservation work, and it was during this work that the evidence was discovered.

The first level was largely covered by the eruption. But people could access the upper grounds. From these upper grounds, they could reach the lower levels from the inside. It’s a bit like the entire city was moved down by one floor. The ground floor became the basement and the upstairs window was now the front door.

Researchers found evidence that people converted the former ground floors into cellars with ovens and mills, and used the upper floors residentially. But there’s no trace of an organized system. This was a Roman city no more; it was a disorganized and probably lawless region.

A Roman Favela

Post-eruption Pompeii must have been disorganized. People from Pompeii and beyond would have come to look through the ash for any survivors or (more likely) valuables they could use. A previous study suggests that many of the survivors in Pompeii (and nearby Herculaneum, which was also wiped out by the eruption) resettled along the southern Italian coast, in places like Naples or Puteoli. But some of the people in town wouldn’t have had anywhere else to go, nor would they have had the means to start settling someplace else. Looters may have also been present, though that’s difficult to prove.

“Thanks to the new excavations, the picture is now clearer: post-79 Pompeii re-emerges, more than a city, a precarious and grey agglomeration, a kind of camp, a favela among the still recognisable ruins of the Pompeii that once was,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the site.

It’s hard to say how many people returned to the city. But what is surprising is that this wasn’t just temporary, for a year or two. Some people lived in Pompeii until the fifth century, when the city was abandoned for good. It never recovered, but it was still a settlement. Although, for now, it’s hard to say what kind of settlement it was.

The reason for Pompeii’s complete abandonment was most likely (you’ve guessed it) another volcano eruption. In 472, Vesuvius erupted once more. Archaeologists suspect (though they can’t prove it just yet) that this eruption broke down what was left of the favela.

For now, we’re left with a tantalizing image of a post-apocalyptic Roman settlement, and many questions. Did this ever become a functioning settlement? What kind of people went there? How did these survivors live?

For now, we don’t know. But Pompeii is still full of secrets, and every new excavation unearths as many questions as answers.