Pompeii discovery casts doubt on date of Vesuvius eruption

An inscription carries the equivalent date of October 17 AD 79, supporting the idea that the eruption occurred a week later rather than on August 23.

Archaeologist at the Pompeii archaeological site (Ciro Fusco/ANSA via AP)

By Associated Press Reporter

New excavations in the ancient buried city of Pompeii have yielded a charcoal inscription apparently dating the eruption of Mount Vesuvius to October of AD 79, two months later than originally thought.

Culture minister Alberto Bonisoli was on hand for the announcement in Pompeii, where earlier this month archaeologists revealed a richly painted garden scene in a home that was unearthed during excavations of a new sector of the vast site.