L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS PEOPLE Yet, DNA analysis has now shown that at least one of these individuals was male, while the biological sex of the o t h e r r e m a i n s u n d e t e r - mined. This finding chal- lenges the idea that the prox- i m i t y o r p o s i t i o n o f t h e bodies necessarily indicates kinship or specific relation- ships. B u t D N A a n a l y s i s d i d m o r e t h a n c h a l l e n g e assumptions about gender a n d r e l a t i o n s h i p s , i t a l s o showed the diversity within Pompeii's population. The individuals from the House of the Golden Bracelet, once thought to be a family, exhib- ited genetic markers com- mon to North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, sug- gesting that they were immi- g r a n t s o r d e s c e n d a n t s o f i m m i g r a n t s f r o m t h e s e regions. Such discoveries confirm that Pompeii, like much of the Roman Empire, was a cosmopolitan commu- nity shaped by migration and cultural exchange. The evi- dence of genetic diversity aligns with historical records of the Roman Empire's vast reach, which facilitated the movement of people across continents for trade, military service, and other purposes. While these findings pro- vide critical insights, they t h e P o m p e i i v i c t i m s . Remarkably, the study has not only added to the histori- cal narrative but also chal- lenged longstanding assump- t i o n s a b o u t s p e c i f i c individuals. One of the key findings involved the discovery of four individuals in a wealthy r e s i d e n c e , c o m m o n l y referred to as the "House of the Golden Bracelet." Here, a gold bracelet adorned one adult, and the group, which included two children, was initially believed to be a fam- ily—a mother, father, and two children. Archaeologists h a d s p e c u l a t e d t h a t t h e bracelet-wearing individual was a woman holding a child, likely based on the protective position and the artifact's association with femininity. H o w e v e r , D N A a n a l y s i s revealed that this individual was actually male and that none of the four people were related by blood. Another reinterpretation from this study concerned two casts from the "House of the Cryptoporticus," where nine bodies were discovered during a 1914 excavation. Two individuals were found i n a n a p p a r e n t e m b r a c e , leading to the widespread belief that they were sisters or a mother and daughter. also draw attention to the challenges faced by ancient DNA research. Preserving genetic material over millen- nia is rare, especially under conditions like those in Pom- peii, where extreme heat and the chemical composition of v o l c a n i c a s h c a n d e g r a d e DNA. Despite these difficul- ties, scientists were able to extract either complete or partial genomes from the remains of five individuals, a breakthrough that empha- sizes the potential of genetic research to contribute to our understanding of history. Beyond correcting histori- c a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s , t h e r e s e a r c h u n d e r l i n e s t h e importance of combining sci- entific techniques with tradi- tional archaeology: the sto- r i e s o n c e t o l d a b o u t Pompeii's plaster casts often relied on visual cues and cul- tural assumptions, creating narratives that were compat- ible with public interest but were not always scientifically sound. The new evidence, on the other hand, prompts a reevaluation of such narra- tives, shifting from simplistic family stories to a broader perspective that considers individual identities within a culturally diverse society. The enduring fascination with Pompeii lies not only in its preserved architecture and artifacts but also in its portrayal of human vulnera- bility in the face of natural disasters. Its plaster casts, p o i g n a n t s y m b o l s o f t h e city's own tragic end, offer insights into the personal and collective stories of the city's residents. The integra- tion of genetic analysis now deepens our understanding of those stories, revealing a more complex population and debunking some of the myths that have persisted for centuries. A s m o d e r n t e c h n o l o g y continues to advance, the sci- entific study of Pompeii's casts is likely to continue and s h e d l i g h t o n a s p e c t s o f ancient life that were previ- ously obscure. All to remind us that the past and history are not static, but rather, they can evolve with each new discovery, providing a more accurate account of who we truly are. a t t e m p t s t o s h i e l d t h e m - s e l v e s f r o m t h e v o l c a n i c d e b r i s . H o w e v e r , f u r t h e r studies indicated that the peculiar positions many vic- tims were found in likely resulted from intense heat, which caused muscle con- tractions at the moment of death. In fact, it is estimated that Pompeii's inhabitants perished almost instantly in the pyroclastic surges that followed the initial eruption, a revelation that undercuts earlier, more dramatic inter- pretations of their deaths: these surges released gases and volcanic material at tem- peratures over 570 F, suffi- cient to vaporize soft tissues and leave skeletal remains intact within the ash. While archaeologists have long been fascinated by these p l a s t e r c a s t s , t h e r e c e n t application of DNA analysis has offered a new layer of d e t a i l . R e s e a r c h e r s f r o m institutions including Har- vard University and the University of Florence, working under a study pub- lished in Current Biology, were able to extract DNA f r o m b o n e f r a g m e n t s embedded in the casts. This genetic data has provided new insights into the identi- ties, family relationships, and even ancestry of some of T h e a n c i e n t R o m a n c i t y o f P o m p e i i w a s f a m o u s l y destroyed in AD 79 by the sudden eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Within m o m e n t s , t h e t o w n w a s b u r i e d u n d e r a t l e a s t s i x meters of volcanic ash and pumice, capturing in chilling detail the final moments of t h o u s a n d s o f l i v e s . T h e tragedy resulted in one of the most significant archaeologi- cal sites in history, allowing i n s i g h t s i n t o R o m a n l i f e while also presenting haunt- ing scenes of human suffer- ing. Many of those found at Pompeii were discovered in unusual postures, leading early excavators to speculate o n t h e m o m e n t o f t h e i r deaths. However, recent scientific findings are now reshaping these interpreta- tions, bringing a new under- standing of who these indi- viduals were and how they met their fate. Excavations of Pompeii began in the 1700s, and in the mid-19th century, a new technique was introduced by a r c h a e o l o g i s t G i u s e p p e Fiorelli to create plaster c a s t s . F i o r e l l i ' s m e t h o d involved pouring plaster into the voids left by decomposed bodies in the ash. The result- ing casts provided life-sized replicas of the deceased, pre- s e r v i n g t h e i r p o s e s w i t h h e a r t b r e a k i n g a c c u r a c y . These early casts became central to the popular fasci- nation with Pompeii because they offered an authentic glimpse into the city's last m o m e n t s . H o w e v e r , t h e y were created and exhibited with limited archaeological context, which often led to assumptions based on visual interpretation rather than evidence. For example, individuals found in apparent embraces were sometimes thought to be family members, while those positioned with chil- d r e n w e r e a s s u m e d t o b e m o t h e r s o r f a t h e r s . F o r decades, it was also believed that their postures reflected p r o l o n g e d s u f f e r i n g o r Recent studies carried out on the bones inside the casts (like the one above) shed light on the ethnic characteristics of Pompeians and also on the connections among some of the victims (Photo: Enrico Della Pietra/Dreamstime) Rethinking Pompeii: DNA breakthroughs challenge ancient assumptions GIULIA FRANCESCHINI

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