The genome of a victim of the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius over the ancient city of Pompeii has been sequenced for the first time, scientists have revealed, shedding new light on the health and diversity of those living in the empire Roman at the time of the disaster.
In a study published Thursday in Scientific Reports, a team led by Gabriele Scorrano, an assistant professor of geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen, extracted the DNA of two victims, a man and a woman, the remains of which were found in the House of Craftsmen. in Pompeii, a domus that was first excavated in 1914.
Although experts sequenced the DNA of the two victims, they were only able to sequence the entire genome from the man’s remains due to gaps in the woman’s obtained sequences.
Prior to this study, only short stretches of mitochondrial DNA from human and animal remains found in Pompeii had been sequenced.
The two individuals were found in the House of the Craftsman in Pompeii. Photography: Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1934, p. 286, fig. 10.
The man was between 35 and 40 years old when he died in the violent eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Comparisons of his DNA with the genetic codes obtained from 1,030 ancient humans, as well as 471 modern individuals from Western Eurasia, suggested that his DNA shared more similarities with modern individuals in central Italy and those who lived during the ancient Roman period. Analysis of its mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome also identified groups of genes commonly found in Sardinia, but not among those who lived in Italy during the empire, suggesting that there may be high levels of genetic diversity. on the Italian peninsula at that time.
Subsequent analysis of the man’s skeleton also identified lesions in one of his vertebrae and DNA sequences suggested he may have had tuberculosis before his death.
The woman was over 50 years old and is believed to have been affected by osteoarthritis.
“This could have been the reason why they waited for everything to end, perhaps with the safety of their home, compared to other victims fleeing and whose remains were found in open spaces,” said Serena Viva , anthropologist at the Institute. University of Salento that was part of the study team.
Scientists speculated that it may have been possible to successfully recover ancient DNA from human remains, as pyroclastic materials released during the eruption may have provided protection against DNA-degrading environmental factors, such as atmospheric oxygen.
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The ruins of Pompeii were discovered in the 16th century, and the first excavations began in 1748. Over the centuries, some 1,500 of the estimated 2,000 victims have been found. Excavations in 2020 of a villa in what would have been the outskirts of the old city revealed the remains of two men, believed to be a master and his slave.
Scientists said the findings confirmed the possibility of retrieving ancient DNA from other Pompeii victims to provide more information about its genetic history.
“Many more Pompeii genomes will be able to be studied in the future,” Viva said. “The victims of Pompeii experienced a natural catastrophe, a thermal shock, and it was not known that their genetic material could be preserved. This study provides this confirmation and that the new technology in genetic analysis allows us to sequence genomes also in damaged material.” .