The recent discovery of genetic material extracted from casts from Pompeii has revolutionized our understanding of the family relationships and identities of the inhabitants buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Research conducted by a team from Harvard University, in collaboration with the University of Florence, has shown that historical perceptions of kinship ties were often incorrect or based on misleading interpretations.
For the first time, it has been possible to extract readable Dna from some plaster casts. According to David Caramelli, anthropologist at the University of Florence and co-author of the study, 14 casts were analyzed, but only 7 provided usable genetic data. These results have revealed a surprising reality about the identities of individuals.
Caramelli explained that initial expectations about family ties turned out to be inaccurate. For example, an adult with a gold bracelet and a child, supposedly a mother and son, were actually two unrelated males. Likewise, two individuals thought to be sisters were actually two men.
Genetic data also revealed that the inhabitants of Pompeii were mostly descended from recent immigrants from the Eastern Mediterranean. This aspect highlights the cosmopolitan nature of the Roman Empire and the systems that promoted mobility and cultural exchanges between different populations. Caramelli stresses the importance of combining genetic data with archaeological discoveries to avoid misinterpretations:
“Narratives risk reflecting researchers' worldviews rather than reality.”
This research marks a significant step toward a more accurate understanding of life in Pompeii and the Roman Empire. The combination of genetics and archaeology promises new discoveries that could radically change the way we view the past. With further study, we may finally unravel the complex web of daily life in antiquity, contributing to a more complete and realistic narrative of human history.
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