Revisiting Human Remains at Pompeii Rewrites the Story of Mt. Vesuvius’ Victims

Combining DNA analysis, archeological techniques, and historical records overturns some assumptions of the people of Pompeii.

By Paul Smaglik
Nov 7, 2024 10:15 PMNov 8, 2024 2:32 PM
House of the Golden Bracelet, Pompeii
Group of casts from the House of the Golden Bracelet. Casts no. 50-51-52, date of creation 1974. (Credit: © courtesy of Archaeological Park of Pompeii)

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We all know what happens when we assume. Turns out that saying rings true for the folks who thought they understood the nature of the Pompeii residents killed in 79 C.E. after Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried, then preserved their bodies in ash.

The conventional wisdom held that Pompeii’s residents were wealthy Romans — either on holiday or enjoying their second home. That notion appears to be very, very wrong, according to a study in Current Biology.

DNA Shows Diverse Backgrounds

Researchers extracted and analyzed DNA from bone fragments of 14 Vesuvius victims’ skeletons. The genetic data showed that, rather than all originating in one part of Italy, they had diverse genomic backgrounds indicating that they hailed from several areas of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The genomic data, combined with the location and positions of the victims, also challenged our conceptions of traditional gender and family roles.

“The scientific data we provide do not always align with common assumptions,” David Reich, a Harvard University researcher, and an author of the study, said in a press release. “For instance, one notable example is the discovery that an adult wearing a golden bracelet and holding a child, traditionally interpreted as a mother and child, were an unrelated adult male and child. Similarly, a pair of individuals thought to be sisters, or mother and daughter, were found to include at least one genetic male.”


Read More: Two Skeletons Leave Behind Clues to Pompeii's Demise


Understanding Ancient Societies

The researchers’ initial goal wasn’t to shift paradigms, but simply to gain as much understanding as they could about the victims’ relationships with each other, their gender, and their ancestry.

Combining genetics with historical information and archeological evidence allows researchers to paint both a more complete and more accurate picture, and demonstrates how teamwork from different disciplines can unearth rich, complex stories.

“Our findings have significant implications for the interpretation of archaeological data and the understanding of ancient societies,” co-author Alissa Mittnik, also from Harvard University, said in a press release. “They highlight the importance of integrating genetic data with archaeological and historical information to avoid misinterpretations based on modern assumptions.”


Read More: The City Under Pompeii's Ashes, and 4 Other Sites That Civilizations Built Over


Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:


Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

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