Latest analysis reveals that most inhabitants of Pompeii originated from the Eastern Mediterranean

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Reported by La Brújula Verde:

Recent research conducted by the University of Florence, Harvard University, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig has challenged longstanding interpretations about the origins of Pompeii’s inhabitants through the use of ancient DNA. Genetic testing has revealed an unexpected diversity in gender and kinship relations, offering a new perspective on life in this ancient Roman city and highlighting the cosmopolitan character of the Roman Empire. According to this data, most Pompeiians descended from immigrants from the Eastern Mediterranean.

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius unleashed one of its most devastating eruptions, burying Pompeii and its inhabitants under a thick layer of lapilli (ash and small stones). While some residents died when their homes collapsed under the weight of volcanic material, others, having survived the initial phase, eventually succumbed to pyroclastic flows. The speed and temperature of these flows quickly enveloped bodies, preserving their forms in a solid ash layer that allowed, centuries later, for molds to be made from these voids.

Since the 19th century, molds of the bodies have been created by pouring plaster into the spaces left after decomposition. However, it is only now that the research team has extracted DNA from fragmented bone remains in 14 of the 86 most famous molds, currently under restoration. This analysis allowed for the identification of kinship relations, sex determination, and ancestry tracing of individuals, thus challenging many previous interpretations based solely on the physical appearance and arrangement of the molds.

This research demonstrates how genetic analysis can significantly enrich narratives constructed from archaeological data, explains Professor David Caramelli, from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florence. The results challenge long-standing assumptions, such as the association of jewelry with femininity or the interpretation of physical proximity as evidence of family ties.

In the House of the Golden Bracelet, for example, where genetic information for multiple individuals is available, it was found that the four people initially thought to be a family (parents and children) actually have no genetic ties to each other.

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