Pompeii of the East Discovered

[alarcojon]

Very cool!

An expedition to the site of the largest volcanic eruption in modern times has uncovered a lost kingdom.

More than 100,000 people died when Mount Tambora erupted on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa in 1815.

Remains of a house with two occupants buried under ash have been unearthed for the first time in a discovery hailed the "Pompeii of the East".

Scientists say bronze bowls, ceramic pots and other recovered artefacts shed light on an ancient Indonesian culture.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4748902.stm

[spinbaby]

1. 1815 is ancient?

Seems rather recent to be called ancient. Pretty cool discovery, though.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. It was an ancient culture...

The design and decoration of the artifacts suggest that the Tamboran culture was linked to Vietnam and Cambodia, and its language was related to that of the Mon-Khmer group of languages that are now scattered across Southeast Asia.

I think that's what they meant.

[demosincebirth]

4. I was thinking the same thing.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. Awesome! Another article here

from the University of Rhode Island

Based on the artifacts he found, particularly the many bronze objects, Sigurdsson believes that the Tamborans were not poor people at all. They were actually quite well off.Historical evidence supports that belief, as Tamborans had been famous in the East Indies for their honey, horses, sappan wood for producing red dye, and sandalwood used for incense and medications.

According to Sigurdsson, the village was located 5 kilometers inland, where the residents were safe from pirates that frequently captured coastal residents and forced them into slavery. The site had also been highly productive for growing crops.
http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/?id=3467

[alarcojon]

5. Thanks for the article

Cool picture over at your link.