A groundbreaking study has successfully extracted DNA from plaster casts of five Pompeii victims, revealing unexpected details about their sex, ancestry, and relationships. Contrary to long-held beliefs, one individual, previously assumed to be a mother due to the presence of a child and a golden bracelet, was identified as a male with no familial link to the child. Additionally, a pair thought to be female relatives were revealed to be unrelated, with at least one being male. These findings underscore how early interpretations based on limited evidence may have led to misconceptions. The DNA analysis also confirmed Pompeii’s genetic diversity, with the victims showing links to immigrants from the eastern Mediterranean.
