Pompeii disaster victims aren’t who we think they are, study suggests

Pompeii disaster victims aren’t who we think they are, study suggests

New DNA evidence paints a very different picture of the eruption.

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Photo credit: Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Published: November 7, 2024 at 4:35 pm

New DNA analysis has revealed past assumptions about the victims of the Pompeii disaster may be completely wrong.

A recent study, conducted by US and Italian researchers, found that some bodies thought to be family members are actually unrelated, and that the sex of some individuals may have been misidentified.

The scientists behind the research argue that modern ideas about gender roles may have shaped a false image of the victims.

“This study illustrates how unreliable narratives based on limited evidence can be, often reflecting the worldview of the researchers at the time,” said Dr David Caramelli, co-author of the study and researcher at the University of Florence.

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When Mount Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy in 79 AD, it killed at least 2,000 people, covering the city of Pompeii with three metres (nine feet) of volcanic material. This ash preserved the ancient Roman city, and its people, until it was uncovered in 1599.

By the late 19th century, archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli used plaster casts to preserve the victims' bodies in their original positions. These casts formed the basis of the new research. By analysing bone fragments that were mixed with the plaster, scientists could use DNA to find out the likely sex, genetic relationships and ancestry of the victims. 

Without the DNA evidence, scientists believe past researchers had to draw conclusions based on the physical appearance of the casts alone.

Take the family found in a property known as the 'House of the Golden Bracelet', discovered in 1974 on a Pompeii hillside. The group of four victims were named after the opulent piece of jewellery worn by a woman found in the house. 

Before the study, experts assumed a person in the house holding a child on their lap was a mother. However, the new DNA evidence reveals this figure was a man.

It was assumed the four victims in the house were family members, but DNA evidence also revealed they weren’t related. 

Victims of the Pompeii disaster.
Experts believe three of the four individuals in the House of the Golden Bracelet, shown here, were killed when a staircase collapsed. - Photo credit: Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Another notable discovery is what researchers believe was a misidentification of a duo (see main image) previously believed to be sisters, or a mother and daughter. 

But now, genetic evidence suggests one of the duo was a biological male.  

“[This finding highlights] the importance of integrating genetic data with archaeological and historical information to avoid misinterpretations based on modern assumptions,” said Dr Alissa Mittnik, co-author of the study.

In total, 14 victims were examined in the study, published in journal Current Biology. Beyond these individuals, over 1,000 of the eruptions’ victims have been discovered. 

Scientists behind the research hope it will influence future studies of both Pompeii and other historical sites. “Our findings have significant implications for the interpretation of archaeological data and the understanding of ancient societies,” concluded Mittnik.

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