Newly discovered DNA changes previous speculation of Pompeii victims' final moments of life

CNN published an article on Friday discussing the discoveries made from a new Pompeii investigation. Ancient DNA revealed more information about the identities of some of the perished, ultimately debunking prior postulations about these individuals.

The History of Pompeii

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius, located on the Gulf of Naples in Italy, erupted, spewing volcanic rock and deadly gas into the air. The residents of Pompeii, a nearby city, were covered in ash and burned to death. The pumice enveloped these individuals, allowing for the preservation of the scene. 

Located approximately 14 miles from Naples, Pompeii was geographically supreme because of its port access. It became a Roman colony despite other groups’ efforts to overtake it. Following the volcanic eruption, the combination of ash and rainwater caused the cadavers to become cemented. Centuries later, excavations uncovered almost 1,000 outlines of people in houses, gardens, streets, and around the city walls.

In the late 19th century, archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli developed a method to create casts of several victims. He used liquid chalk to preserve the shapes of 104 people in Pompeii, pouring it into the outlines left by their decayed bodies. Certain narratives were created based on their findings, including some thought to be mother and child, sisters, or lovers. 

New Discoveries Uncover Truth

Modern cast restoration efforts have revealed the falsity of these assumptions as researchers found bone fragments within the plaster that contained DNA.

These discoveries were published last week in the Current Biology journal, debunking the former understanding of the demographics of Pompeii victims in addition to how they were connected to one another. Study co author and Harvard University professor David Reich said, “The scientific data we provide do not always align with common assumptions.”

In 2015, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii started to restore 86 of the 104 casts that were originally created by Fiorelli. X-rays and other scans determined that bone fragments were stored within many of them. Park scientists and study authors worked in tandem to better comprehend the genetics in Roman Empire Pompeii.

Several Sites Preserved

The remains studied were found throughout preserved sites, including the House of the Golden Bracelet. This terraced structure was named for an adult who was found wearing a gold bracelet and with a child held to their hip. Beside this pair was another adult, assumed to be the child’s father and a second child just a few meters away. 

While researchers had presumed the bracelet-wearer to be the child’s mother, genetic analysis derived that the pair were an unrelated adult male, said to have had dark hair and skin, and a child.

Another location that was further researched was the House of the Cryptoporticus, named for the underground passage below the home. The passageway opened up to the property gardens, where nine bodies were discovered, four of which had casts made of them. Two of these casts appeared to be in an embrace, leading researchers to believe they were either sisters, mother and daughter, or lovers. 

New analysis has revealed that one body was between 14 and 19 years old, while the other was a young adult. One was also classified as a male through genetic estimation.

Genetic Analysis Shines Light on Pompeii's Diversity

Overall, the genetic information collected in this recent research has provided insight into the diversity of Pompeii. Study co-author and leader at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Alissa Mittnik reflected on the broader patterns of mobility and cultural exchange in the Roman Empire’s time, clearly shown through immigration from the eastern Mediterranean to Pompeii.

Steven Tuck, a professor at Miami University in Ohio, shared that the study was a proper reminder of the nature of the Romans’ definition of family, which included more than just immediate members. 

Understanding the diverse genetic makeup of Pompeii completely reshapes how scientists and archaeologists understand the city and its residents. 

San Francisco State University professor Dr. Michael Anderson shared his perspective on how it “helps to topple the European ‘ownership’ of the so-called ‘Classical world,’ and showcases the degree to which those are misconceptions … that do not reflect the ancient reality.”