A new study by American and Italian scientists, based on DNA analysis, has revealed that previous conclusions about the victims of the Pompeii tragedy may be incorrect.
The research team discovered that some bodies had been misidentified in earlier studies. For instance, individuals thought to be members of the same family were not actually related. Additionally, the gender of some Pompeii residents was misclassified by scientists at the time.
The authors of the new study believe that preconceived notions about gender roles may have contributed to the flawed portrayal of the victims.
“This research highlights how unreliable narratives can be when based on limited evidence, which often reflects the worldview of researchers from a particular time,” noted Dr. David Caramelli, a co-author of the study and a researcher at the University of Florence.
Overall, the study, published in the journal Current Biology, analyzed the remains of 14 victims.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD in southern Italy, at least 2,000 people lost their lives, and the city of Pompeii was buried under three meters of volcanic material. This preserved the ancient Roman city and its inhabitants for future study.
In the second half of the 19th century, a team led by renowned archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli created plaster casts to preserve the victims’ remains in their original state. The authors of the new study focused on these casts. They examined DNA from bone fragments mixed with plaster. This analysis helped determine the gender, genetic relationships, and origins of the victims.
Because past researchers lacked the ability to study the DNA of the Pompeii tragedy victims, they had to draw conclusions based solely on the appearance of the casts.
A striking example is a family of townspeople found in a luxurious estate known as the House of the Golden Bracelet (named after the ornament worn by the villa’s mistress). Archaeologists discovered the building, adorned with stunning frescoes, in 1974 on the hillside, as reported by BBC Science Focus.
Before the recent study, scientists assumed that the person holding a child on their lap was the child’s mother. However, DNA data revealed that this individual was actually a man. It was also presumed that all four residents of the house were members of the same family. Yet, DNA analysis proved they were not related.
Another notable finding was the identification of a pair previously thought to be a mother and daughter or two sisters. It turned out to be a mistake. Genetic data uncovered the truth: one of the figures was male.
The researchers hope that studying the remains of Pompeii residents using new analytical methods will uncover even more secrets of this ancient tragedy.