Pompeii excavation unearths remains of pregnant tortoise

The remains of a pregnant tortoise that hid in the ruins of a home destroyed by an earthquake in AD62 have been found by archaeologists.

The 14 cm long tortoise and her egg were found during the reconstruction of an area of the ancient city that was leveled by the earthquake. After the eruption of the volcano, Pompeii was destroyed.

The tortoise, which is common in southern Europe, may have sought refuge in the rubble of a badly damaged home.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the Pompeii archaeological park, said that the animal may have died before finding a safe place to lay her egg.

He said that before the eruption of Pompeii, the whole city was a construction site, and that some spaces were so unused that wild animals could roam.

The organic and agricultural materials found outside Pompeii's urban centre are an important focus of current excavations and research.

The history of ancient Pompeii is represented by a mosaic of relations between culture and nature, community and environment.

The Stabiane baths section of Pompeii is being excavated by the Free University of Berlin, the University of Naples L'Orientale and the University of Oxford.