Long held beliefs about some victims of Pompeii may be false: Study

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IT’S THE ONLY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE IN THE WORLD THAT PROVIDES A COMPLETE PICTURE OF AN ANCIENT ROMAN CITY – BUT NEW RESEARCH OUT THIS WEEK IS RAISING DOUBTS ABOUT THE AUTHENTICITY OF POMPEII. 

D-N-A ANALYSIS OF THE SKELETAL REMAINS OF THOSE KILLED IN THE ANCIENT ERUPTION OF MOUNT VESUVIUS SHOWS SOME OF THE VICTIMS WERE WRONGLY IDENTIFIED.

POMPEII’S VICTIMS WERE PRESERVED BY ARCHEOLOGISTS USING PLASTER TO FILL THE VOIDS THEIR BODIES LEFT.

OBSERVERS HAVE LONG TOLD STORIES BASED ON THESE MOLDS. 

CLAIMING ONE TO BE A MOTHER HOLDING A CHILD AND TWO WOMEN EMBRACING EACH OTHER AS THEY DIED. 

SCIENTISTS NOW BELIEVE THAT STORY IS WRONG.

RESEARCHERS FINDING THE PERSON BELIEVED TO BE THE MOTHER WAS ACTUALLY A MAN UNRELATED TO THE CHILD.

AND AT LEAST ONE PERSON IN THE EMBRACE, OF WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A PAIR OF SISTERS OR A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER, WAS ALSO A MALE.

RESEARCHERS SAY THE STUDY SHOWS THE MISTAKES PEOPLE CAN MAKE IN ASSUMING THE SOCIAL NORMS OF THEIR TIME WERE THE SAME IN THE ANCIENT WORLD.

[ALISSA MITTNIK]

OVER THE DECADES, THE CASTS WERE MADE VERY MUCH REFLECTS KIND OF THE AESTHETIC OF SENSIBILITIES OF THE RECONSTRUCTORS OF THE TIME. SO, THEY MIGHT HAVE GONE FROM MORE CRUDE TO MORE NATURALISTIC APPEARANCES.”

14 CASTS OF THE VICTIMS OF POMPEII WERE EXAMINED AS PART OF THE STUDY.

THE NEW DETAILS COME AT A TIME WHEN THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IS CLAIMING LARGER AND LARGER CROWDS. IN FACT, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE VISITING THE ANCIENT RUINS THAT THE ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK JUST ANNOUNCED NEW LIMITS TO VISITORS.

CAPPING THEM TO 20 THOUSAND A DAY.

STARTING ON NOVEMBER 15TH, VISITORS WILL NEED A PERSONALIZED TICKET TO ENTER.

PARK OFFICIALS SAY IT’S TO PREVENT OVERTOURISM IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THE ANCIENT CITY WELL-PRESERVED.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.