Pompeii was discovered untouched, buried beneath several feet of hardened ash, lava, and rock in 1592 by Domenico Fontana, a Roman architect. However, the decay of the bodies over the previous 1500 years produced cavities that archaeologists filled with plaster to make life-like casts of the Roman people. This plaster cast method was developed almost three hundred years after Pompeii’s discovery in 1863. Since then, over 100 casts have been produced to preserve the shape and remaining bones of the people of Pompeii.
However, new DNA testing from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii in Naples has disproven many of the hypotheses formed around the figures of Pompeii. While it is widely acknowledged that the plaster casts have been used to manipulate the figures into a more engaging or dramatic narrative of the eruption of Vesuvius, the findings of the new DNA testing have revealed that certain people, presumed to be family members, were biologically unrelated.
One couple, who died in each other’s arms, were assumed to be sisters or mother and daughter but were found to be irrelevant and of opposite sexes. The analysis also uncovered the diverse backgrounds of the people of Pompeii, with roots in the eastern Mediterranean region and northern Africa. This is expected to be due to the ports of the Mediterranean acting as a point of union for the communities that shared its coastline.
Pompeii, the longest-running excavated site in the world, consistently undergoes trials and tests of new research and technologies developed within the field of archaeology. Recent DNA test's revelations should remind researchers and historians that not all initial findings can be taken at face value, and it is important to constantly review and reframe our understanding of history.
