Pompeii victim ID'd as a likely doctor

Source: Ars Technica

Identification of the victim

Archaeologists used a combination of advanced CT scans and 3D digital reconstruction to identify one of the Pompeii victims who died in 79 CE during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius as most likely having been a Roman doctor, according to an announcement by the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

Context of the eruption

As previously reported, the eruption released thermal energy roughly equivalent to 100,000 times the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, spewing molten rock, pumice, and hot ash over the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The vast majority of people in those cities perished from asphyxiation, choking on thick clouds of noxious gas and ash. At least some victims probably died instantaneously from the intense heat of fast‑moving lava flows, with temperatures high enough to boil brains and explode skulls.

Historical casting methods

In the 19th century, archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli devised a method for making casts of the victims by pouring liquid plaster into the voids left by decomposed soft tissue. About 1,000 bodies have been discovered in the ruins, and 104 plaster casts have been preserved.

Restoration efforts on 86 of those casts began roughly a decade ago, during which researchers performed CT scans and X‑rays to determine whether complete skeletons were present.

The scans revealed extensive manipulation of the casts over time—alterations to body shapes, addition of metal rods for stabilization, and frequent removal of bones before casting—reflecting the aesthetic preferences of different eras.

Recent research and DNA analysis

Ancient DNA analysis in 2024 of four victims found in the “House of the golden bracelet” revealed that all four bodies were male and none were genetically related. This challenges earlier narratives and suggests that previous interpretations may have been influenced by cultural biases.