First DNA from Pompeii Casts Reveals Victims' True Identities and Relationships

Nov 7, 2024, 04:48 PM

A groundbreaking study has recovered the first DNA from body casts of victims of the Pompeii volcanic eruption, revealing surprising insights into their identities and challenging long-held assumptions. Led by David Caramelli, David Reich, and Alissa Mittnik from the University of Florence, Harvard, and the Max Planck Institute, researchers analyzed the genetic relationships, sex, and ancestry of 14 individuals preserved as plaster casts. The findings show that an adult male wearing a golden bracelet with a child in his lap, previously interpreted as a mother and child, is actually not biologically related to the child. The study provides detailed information about the victims' ancestry and family ties, rewriting the histories of these ancient people and offering a deeper understanding of the population of Pompeii before the eruption.