New genetic analyzes disprove notions of Pompeii’s victims. They reveal that the “mother” in the group was actually a man and the ancient stories need a fresh look.
Scientists recently examined the genetic material from Pompeii using new methods and revealed that some previous interpretations of the famous scenes do not correspond to reality.
A famous scene from the “famous House of the Golden Bracelet” describes how a family of four sought refuge under a stone staircase while hot ash fell all around. This family has come to terms with the fact that there is no escape from Pompeii. Every tourist knows this dramatic story, but new findings reveal that the famous “mother” was actually a man.
Scientists from Italy, Germany and the US published in the journal that they managed to obtain both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from bone fragments mixed with plaster taken from fourteen restored casts, five of which were examined in detail.
Investigated victims
Among those examined were three of the four people found near the staircase of a richly decorated building called the House of the Golden Bracelet. This nickname refers to a bracelet worn by one of the adults found with the child at her side – a circumstance that initially led to the belief that this person was the mother of the two children, with the other adult being the father.
However, new analyzes revealed that the person with the bracelet was male, with black hair and dark skin. The researchers found no evidence of a family relationship with the two infants, who were boys.
