The Eruption of Mount Vesuvius Turned This Ancient Victim's Brain to Glass

The extreme heat from the volcanic explosion in A.D. 79 vitrified, or turned to glass, a man's brain.

By Leslie Nemo
Jan 23, 2020 4:00 PMJan 23, 2020 9:49 PM
Vitrified-Brain
A shard of glass that was once brain matter. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 liquified and then cooled the organic tissue — a process known as vitrification — preserving a portion of the brain. (Credit: Pierpaolo Petrone)

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When Mount Vesuvius blasted hot ash through Roman cities at a temperature of 950 degrees Fahrenheit, the cloud killed residents as soon as it hit them. 

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