The tragedy which befell the inhabitants of Pompeii in 79AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted so violently that many inhabitants of the town were killed where they lay, continues to reveal stories about the people who died that day.
Some were buried under a thick layer of small stones and ash known as lapilli. Many of Pompeii’s inhabitants lost their lives as their homes collapsed under the weight of the lapilli raining down from many kilometres above.
Those who survived the initial phase of the eruption eventually succumbed to the dangerous pyroclastic flows. This fast-moving stream of hot gas and volcanic matter instantly enveloped their bodies in a solid layer of ash, effectively preserving their bodies, including their features.
Since the 1800s, casts had been made by pouring plaster into the voids left by these bodies after their decay. Now a research team has extracted DNA from the heavily fragmented skeletal remains embedded in 14 of the 86 famous casts undergoing restoration.
This extraction process allowed them to accurately establish genetic relationships, determine sex and trace ancestry. Interestingly, their findings largely contradicted previous assumptions based solely on physical appearance and the positioning of the casts.
Professor David Caramelli, from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florence explained:
“The findings challenge enduring notions such as the association of jewellery with femininity or the interpretation of physical proximity as evidence of familial relationships.
“Moreover, the genetic evidence adds a layer of complexity to simple kinship narratives. For example, in the House of the Golden Bracelet, the only site where we have genetic information from multiple individuals, the four people traditionally thought to be the two parents and their children actually have no genetic ties to each other”.
What was thought to be a mother holding her child actually turned out to be an unrelated adult male and child. Another pair thought to be sisters, or mother and daughter, are not both female, but one is genetically male.
The genetic data also provided information about the ancestry of the Pompeians, who had different genomic backgrounds. The finding that they were mainly descended from recent immigrants from the eastern Mediterranean highlights the cosmopolitan nature of the Roman Empire.
Alissa Mittnik of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology said:
“They highlight the importance of integrating genetic data with archaeological and historical information to avoid misinterpretations based on modern assumptions.
“This study also underscores the diverse and cosmopolitan nature of Pompeii’s population, reflecting broader patterns of mobility and cultural exchange in the Roman Empire.”
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Director of the Pompeii Park, added:
“The Pompeii Park has been including ancient DNA analysis in its study protocols for years, not only for human victims, but also for animal victims.“
He explained that the Park manages a variety of research projects through its own laboratory. These include isotopic analysis, diagnostics, geology, volcanology and, in particular, reverse engineering. He stressed that “all these elements together contribute to a comprehensive, updated interpretation of the archaeological findings. These efforts are turning Pompeii into a veritable incubator for the development of new methods, resources and scientific comparisons.
“From this point of view, this study marks a true change in perspective, in which the site itself plays a central role in advancing archaeology and research.”
Click on this link to access, Ancient DNA challenges prevailing interpretations of the Pompeii plaster casts, published in Current Biology
