DNA secrets of Pompeii: New insights into ancient lives
Scientists have conducted a DNA analysis on the remains of the residents of Pompeii who perished during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The results have provided groundbreaking insights into their origins and familial relationships.
8 November 2024 11:14
The research, published in the journal "Current Biology," was led by a team under the direction of Professor David Caramelli from the University of Florence. Scientists extracted DNA from heavily fragmented skeletal remains in 14 out of the 86 famous plaster casts of victims of the eruption, which are currently undergoing restoration.
Genetic analysis enabled precise determinations of the victims' sex, origin, and genetic relationships. These findings challenge previous assumptions based solely on physical appearance and the positions of the casts. For instance, an adult with a gold bracelet on their hand, holding a child, was previously considered a mother with her offspring. However, the study revealed that this was a man, and he and the child had no familial bond.
Additionally, DNA analysis revealed that the residents of Pompeii had ancestral roots extending to the eastern regions of the Mediterranean Sea. Alissa Mittnik from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology notes that these findings reflect broad patterns of mobility and cultural exchange in the Roman Empire. "Our findings have significant implications for interpreting archaeological data and understanding ancient societies. They highlight the diversity and cosmopolitan nature of the population of Pompeii," the researcher pointed out.
This may have influenced interpretation
Scientists also suggest that previous scene reconstructions by experts may have influenced the interpretation of relationships between the victims due to possible changes in the arrangement of the casts.
Combining genetic data with other bioarchaeological methods gives us the opportunity to better understand the lives and customs of the victims of the Vesuvius eruption, notes Professor Caramelli, quoted by PAP.
The eruption of Vesuvius occurred in 79 AD. It was one of the most powerful in history, and it killed the residents of Pompeii. Many of them died under collapsed buildings, while others perished in pyroclastic flows. The eruption also destroyed two other Roman towns: Herculaneum and Stabiae.
Vesuvius remains an active volcano. The last eruption of Vesuvius occurred in 1944, and since the destruction of Pompeii, it has erupted 77 times. Geologists warn that an eruption may occur in the future.
