Researchers have successfully extracted and analyzed ancient DNA from the remains of two victims of the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. The DNA analysis revealed that one of the victims was a man in his 30s or 40s with Mediterranean ancestry, while the other was a woman in her 50s or 60s with ancestry from East Asia. This groundbreaking study marks the first time that ancient DNA has been recovered from human remains preserved in volcanic ash. The findings provide new insights into the diversity of Pompeii’s population and demonstrate the potential of ancient DNA analysis to shed light on the lives and identities of individuals from the ancient world. The researchers plan to analyze more remains from Pompeii in the hope of gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the city’s inhabitants.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/08/science/pompeii-ancient-dna-body-casts/index.html