Now, during modern efforts to restore some of the casts, researchers retrieved bone fragments from within the plaster and sequenced DNA from them, discovering that none of those assumptions were true. The discoveries, published Thursday in a new study in ...

New DNA analysis of skeletal remains from Pompeii reveals that victims of Vesuvius’s eruption have been wrongly identified.

A recent DNA study has upended long-held theories about the people who died in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, revealing unexpected details about the demographics and connections among the victims.

When a volcanic eruption buried the ancient city of Pompeii, the last desperate moments of its citizens were preserved in stone for centuries. Observers see stories in the plaster casts later made of their bodies,

The findings, which used DNA from the plaster casts of people who died in the Mt. Vesuvius eruption two millennia ago, challenge the traditional gender and familial assumptions about the Pompeiians.

The scientific data we provide do not always align with common assumptions,” said study co-author and professor David Reich.

All these years later, Pompeii remains a hot spot for tourists in Italy. The location sees 2.5 million visitors per year. The site has several areas to explore, including the Villa of the Mysteries. Even nowadays,