A new study examining the clothing of Pompeii victims is raising doubts about the long-accepted date of Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D. Researchers at the University of Valencia found that many of those who perished during the volcanic disaster were wearing heavy wool garments — clothing that seems out of place for a late August summer day in southern Italy.
The analysis was carried out by the ÁTROPOS research group, which specializes in historical burial practices. The team reviewed 14 plaster casts of victims and discovered consistent impressions of thick wool clothing, worn both by people inside their homes and those found outside. According to the researchers, all individuals were dressed in two layers: a wool tunic beneath a wool mantle.
The texture of the fabric, preserved in the plaster, showed a dense and rough weave, suggesting the clothing was intended to provide warmth or serve as protection. This discovery adds fresh evidence to the ongoing scholarly debate about whether the eruption occurred in late summer or sometime later in the year.
Clothing clues point to cooler conditions
For decades, the eruption has been believed to have taken place on Aug. 24, based largely on the writings of Pliny the Younger, a Roman official who witnessed the disaster. However, the new textile findings challenge that timeline. Experts argue that wearing heavy wool in August would have been highly uncomfortable in the typically hot climate of southern Italy.
🔎Un estudio de la Universitat de València sobre la ropa que vestían en Pompeya (Italia), plantean controversias sobre la fecha en la que hasta ahora se consideraba que se había producido el suceso.
— EFE C. Valenciana (@EFE_CValenciana) December 3, 2025
🔎Concluyen que vestían túnica y un manto de lana que era muy pesada. pic.twitter.com/lNqiUdIeZT
Llorenç Alapont, an archaeologist and historian from the University of Valencia who holds a doctorate degree, explained that these garments offer rare insight into what people were wearing at the exact moment disaster struck. Speaking at an international conference dedicated to the timing of Vesuvius’ eruption, Alapont said that the casts not only reveal the outlines of the victims’ bodies but also preserve the texture and layering of their clothing.
He noted that while the exact purpose of the thick garments remains unclear, they may have been worn for protection — not only from lower temperatures but possibly from the harsh environment created by the eruption itself, including ash, gas, or falling debris.
In four of the 14 casts examined, the heavy wool pattern was especially well preserved. All the casts studied came from the Porta Nola Necropolis, a burial area first uncovered in the 1970s.
Evidence mounts against traditional August date
This latest study joins a growing body of evidence that challenges the traditional late August timeline. In previous excavations, archaeologists found autumn fruits, indoor stoves with fresh embers, and signs that wine was still fermenting in storage jars — all of which point to a possible autumn eruption.
The consistency of the clothing, along with these seasonal clues, is prompting many scholars to reexamine earlier assumptions. The findings also suggest that the victims may have been trying to protect themselves from more than just the heat of the eruption — possibly bracing against cold air or airborne threats as they fled.
With each new discovery, researchers are piecing together a more complex picture of the day Pompeii was frozen in time. As new evidence emerges, the accepted history of one of the ancient world’s most devastating events continues to evolve.