A recent study by an international team of scientists has analyzed DNA from remains of Pompeii residents who perished during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The genetic analysis has prompted historians and archaeologists to reassess previous notions about the society of this ancient Roman port city and the circumstances surrounding the deaths of specific individuals.
The researchers extracted 14 DNA samples from 86 plaster casts currently undergoing restoration. These casts are created by specialists to recreate the poses and conditions of the victims, as the city was nearly instantaneously buried in ash. In areas where people were located, voids remained after decomposition, preserving bones. Archaeologists filled these voids with plaster, reconstructing the positions of the victims.
For a long time, historians relied on these casts and the well-preserved surroundings to construct narratives and hypotheses about life in Pompeii. The new genetic research introduces corrections and adds nuances to these accounts. For instance, it was previously believed that a figure of an adult holding a child was a mother, a logical assumption that had been treated as fact. However, DNA analysis revealed that the adult was male. Further details emerged regarding a couple previously thought to be sisters; the new findings confirmed that the remains belonged to a man and a woman who were not close relatives. Numerous such revelations have surfaced, exposing inaccuracies and assumptions in earlier studies.
The authors of the study also emphasize the impressive ethnic diversity of the region's population. While it is commonly assumed that cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism were hallmarks of Rome, the capital of the empire, Pompeii exhibited significant influences from Eastern Mediterranean and North African peoples. This broadens the understanding of migration patterns in the 1st century AD and highlights the sociocultural exchanges that occurred even in a small but significant port town.