When the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. buried the ancient city of Pompeii, it preserved the tragic last moments of its citizens. Over time, plaster casts made from the voids left in the ash-covered bodies told stories of people caught in their final poses, like a mother holding her child or two women embracing in death. But new DNA evidence is now challenging these interpretations, offering fresh perspectives on the identities of these individuals.
A team of researchers, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Harvard University, and the University of Florence, analyzed DNA from 14 Pompeii casts, revealing surprising findings. According to Alissa Mittnik, one of the lead researchers, the new evidence disproves several prevailing narratives about the relationships between the bodies found together. For example, the individual once thought to be a mother was actually a man with no genetic connection to the child beside him. Similarly, one of the people previously assumed to be a woman in an embrace with another was revealed to be male.
The discovery was made in the “House of the Golden Bracelet,” a residence where an adult with an elaborate piece of jewelry was found with a child. Based on the jewelry, it was long assumed the adult was female, but genetic testing confirmed both individuals were male, completely overturning the interpretation that had been built around them. This finding highlights how modern interpretations can sometimes project assumptions about the past, rather than uncovering the true stories embedded in the remains.
Researchers also discovered that Pompeii’s population was ethnically diverse, with many residents likely descended from eastern Mediterranean immigrants. This finding reflects the broader pattern of cultural exchange and migration that characterized the Roman Empire at the time. Pompeii, situated about 150 miles from Rome, was a bustling urban center where people from different regions lived and interacted.
This latest research builds on previous studies, including the groundbreaking 2022 sequencing of a Pompeii victim’s genome, which confirmed the potential to extract ancient DNA from human remains. Gabriele Scorrano, a researcher from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, emphasized that this ongoing work is slowly providing a more accurate picture of life in ancient Pompeii.
In recent months, archaeologists have uncovered even more Pompeii victims. In August, the remains of a man and a woman were found in what appeared to be a bedroom, where they were trapped by debris as their home collapsed. The woman was discovered surrounded by valuable items, including gold, silver, and bronze coins, along with jewelry. Meanwhile, the use of artificial intelligence to read charred scrolls from the eruption has also opened up new insights into the lives of Pompeii’s residents, with one scroll, believed to be by the philosopher Philodemus, discussing topics like food, music, and pleasure.
As scientists continue to unlock the mysteries of Pompeii through both genetic research and new technologies, a fuller, more nuanced understanding of the ancient city’s final moments is gradually emerging.
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