Mother Embracing Child in Pompeii Lava 2,000 Years Ago... DNA Test Results 'Unrelated'

US-Germany Joint Research Team Announces DNA Analysis Results
Study Reveals Men Are Not Biologically Related

About 2,000 years ago, a once-glorious ancient city met its end due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This city was Pompeii, located near Naples, Italy, which boasted the most splendid civilization in ancient Rome. Recently, an international joint research team from Harvard Medical School in the United States and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany published the results of an analysis of ancient DNA extracted from 14 victims of Pompeii in the latest issue of the biology journal Current Biology.

This is the relationship between the bodies of the victims who died in the so-called 'The House of the Gold Bracelet,' the most famous among the victims of Pompeii. This site, revealed during past excavation work, contains a total of four bodies that vividly convey the final moments of the Pompeii disaster. PompeiiinPictures

The significance of this study lies in extracting DNA from fragmented bones to determine gender and genetic relationships. Among the findings, some overturned existing assumptions. First, the most famous fossils among Pompeii’s victims are those found in a place called the "House of the Gold Bracelet." During past excavations, this site revealed four bodies that vividly convey the final moments of the Pompeii tragedy.

This model depicts two adults and two children sitting or lying down. Until now, many restorers speculated that these four individuals were family members. Based on the fact that one adult wearing a bracelet was holding a child, it was assumed that this person was the mother of the two children and the other adult was the father. However, DNA analysis extracted from bone fragments inside the plaster cast revealed that all four individuals, including the adult wearing the bracelet, were male and not genetically related. The research team also analyzed another plaster cast showing two people embracing.

Previously, researchers had assumed this model represented a mother and daughter or sisters. However, the team confirmed that one of them was male. These findings suggest that some interpretations of Pompeii fossils have been based on stereotypes. Alissa Mittnik, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute and co-author of the paper, stated, "We do not know exactly who these people were or what their relationships were," adding, "This clearly shows that the long-held stories circulating among people were evidently different."

She continued, "Because the adult lying down was wearing a gold bracelet, it led to the perception that this person was female and a mother," and emphasized, "To accurately understand Pompeii’s past, more genetic testing must be conducted." Furthermore, she noted, "It was confirmed that Pompeii’s citizens were mainly descendants of immigrants from the eastern Mediterranean," adding, "This demonstrates how much people moved at the time and the multicultural dynamism of the Roman Empire."

Meanwhile, Pompeii is a city that disappeared in AD 79 when Mount Vesuvius near Pompeii erupted, with an estimated 2,000 residents dying. Immediately after the volcanic eruption, an earthquake estimated to be magnitude 5 to 6 occurred, turning the city into ruins in an instant. AP·Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Pompeii was a city that disappeared in AD 79 when Mount Vesuvius near Pompeii erupted, with an estimated 2,000 residents dying. Immediately after the volcanic eruption, an earthquake estimated to be magnitude 5 to 6 struck, turning the city into ruins in an instant. Especially right after the eruption, solidified lava fragments, volcanic ash, and hot gases quickly covered the city, causing many residents to suffocate from gas and ash. Pompeii, which vanished into history, was rediscovered in 1592 during the construction of a canal crossing over the city, revealing traces of buildings and artworks, and excavations have continued to this day.