DNA evidence from Pompeii reveals that the victims were not what they thought

DNA evidence from Pompeii reveals that the victims were not what they thought

Using DNA analysis of fragmented skeletal remains, scientists have made unexpected discoveries about the people who perished in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. One of the most interesting findings shows that the adult holding the child, long thought to be the mother, was not actually a woman, but a man who had no family connection to the child.

As reported by SKY News, the analysis was carried out on 14 plaster casts of the victims from the ruins Pompeiiamong which bodies were found in the house called the “house of the golden bracelet”. The adult with the gold bracelet, previously identified as the mother, was a man. Even more surprising was the discovery that the four bodies found in the same room, including another adult and a child, were all unrelated men.

According to Alisa Mitnik from the German Max Planck Institute, these findings challenge earlier theories about the lives of these people and open up space for new interpretations. She pointed out that previous assumptions were often based on body positions and presumed family ties, which have now not been confirmed.

Another important discovery was related to a couple found in an embrace. Although they were thought to be sisters or mother and daughter, DNA analysis showed that one of them was a man.

Illustration of the volcano Vesuvius

The researchers also found that the inhabitants of Pompeii had diverse origins, with a predominance of immigrants from the eastern Mediterranean, indicating the high mobility and multiculturalism of the Roman Empire.

The postmortem casts of the victims, created in the late 19th century, were created by filling the cavities left after the bodies decomposed in mud and volcanic ash, giving researchers a glimpse into the tragedy of this ancient city.

Source: BIZLife

Photo: Freepik