POMPEII, ITALY — Here lie the remains of one supremely unlucky fella, who managed to survive an initial volcanic blast, but ended up getting squashed by a rock.<br /><br />Archaeologists in Pompeii have unearthed a skeleton that had been pinned underneath a 300-kilogram block of stone during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, according to a Facebook post by the Pompeii Parco Archeologico.<br /><br />The decapitated remains are believed to be that of a 30-year-old male. Lesions on the tibia suggest a bone infection, which would have hampered the man's ability to flee.<br /><br />The bones were found on the first storey level, over a thick layer of volcanic fragments called lapilli. This suggests he survived the first phase of the eruption.<br /><br />Scientists think the man had been hit by hot pyroclastic flows while fleeing. A massive rock thrown by the volcanic cloud then collided with his upper body, crushing his head and thorax.<br /><br />The unfortunate man's skeleton is the latest discovery out of Pompeii. Excavations in the past few months have unearthed the remains of a horse and a young child.
