A recent discovery suggests that Mount Vesuvius destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii months later than the widely accepted date of August 24, 79 AD.

A recent discovery suggests that Mount Vesuvius destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii months later than the widely accepted date of August 24, 79 AD, reports CNN. Archaeologists have uncovered charcoal writing on the side of a house that appears to read October 17.  The BBC reports that it is presumed the message was created in the year 79 AD and soon after buried in ash and rubble.  Researchers posit that if the charcoal had been left out in the open for much longer, it would have been worn or rubbed away, notes The Local. The new estimated eruption date of October 24, 79 AD is supported by other evidence found in Pompeii over the years.  According to The Local, that includes, "thicker garments victims seem to have been wearing at the time of their death, the fact that autumn fruits were found among the food stores, and that jars of wine – made from grapes that don't usually ripen until late September – had already been set to ferment."