Mount Vesuvius and the Victims of Pompeii
In the era of the early Roman Empire, approximately 20,000 people resided in the city of Pompeii, close to the Bay of Naples, Italy. However, the merchants, craftsmen, and farmers who took advantage of the fertile black soil of the area never realised that they were living under the shadow of such a considerable threat - the only currently active volcano in mainland Europe - Mount Vesuvius.
On August 24th, in the year 79 AD, after some warning signs of earthquakes, Mount Vesuvius put an end to the thriving lifestyle offered by Pompeii when a ten-mile mushroom cloud of ash and pumice was launched into the stratosphere. Mount Vesuvius had exploded, and for over twelve hours, it rained down ash, rocks, and pumice stones onto the occupants of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae.
People fled their homes in terror, but roughly two thousand people sought refuge in Pompeii - within whatever structure they could find in the hopes of surviving the eruption.
The History of Pompeii
Unlike the other towns in the area, Pompeii was largely founded by Greek settlers, as it was mostly built by the Oscans in roughly the 8th and 9th centuries BC. It was founded on a large lava terrace, which had been formed by previous volcanic eruptions from Mount Vesuvius, and provided shelter from the threat of conquering tribes.
The black soil of the Sarno Valley where Pompeii was built meant that the land was especially fertile - therefore, the economy was able to quickly thrive based on their agriculture and trade. The occupants of the city soon made connections with other Greek colonies and adopted many of their ways of life - such as their culture and religion.
However, it was inhabited by the Etruscans for approximately fifty years, as most of the area was invaded by the tribe. Yet, after this period, Pompeii was reclaimed by the Greeks and was thus highly influenced by the Samnites during the fifth century - hence, the architectural and historical expansion of the city - much of which can be seen today.
At the same time, Rome’s authority had started to affect more areas of southern Italy and its inhabitants. Eventually, the empire’s power even overcame the Samnites’ force, and the tribe surrendered the city of Pompeii - which, in time, became an influential city with its own local independence. Although there was some discontent from the tribes that continued to fight for their freedom, Rome triumphed in the end, and Pompeii became Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompei in 80 BC.
After this time, Pompeii saw rapid periods of expansion in trade, agriculture, and maritime fare. Thus, the city’s reputation preceded itself beyond that of the nearby towns and became a prestigious and wealthy city to reside in.
This was reflected in its inhabitant's way of life - as a class structure was formed, the population increased, and the levels of affluence drastically increased. As a result, Pompeii became even more architecturally impressive with its spectacular villas and structures, jewellery, and ornaments.
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius forms part of the Campanian volcanic arc that comprises the joining of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates on the Italian peninsula. The only still-active volcano on the continent of Europe, Vesuvius is thought to have exploded roughly fifty times over thousands of years. One particularly violent eruption - known as the Avellino eruption - released millions of tons of ash, rocks, and lava approximately twenty-two miles into the air, destroying every dwelling or structure within approximately fifteen miles of its vicinity.
Before Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, a large earthquake ravaged the area in 63 AD - which is now believed to have been a warning sign of the impending disaster that followed.
Despite the threat of living in the land around the base of Vesuvius, many people still travelled in their droves to enjoy the beauty and benefits of life in the Bay of Naples - and increased the population of Pompeii as a result.
Mount Vesuvius last erupted in 1944 - but its last major eruption was in 1631. Scientists believe that Vesuvius will erupt again, which could potentially be catastrophic for the approximately seven hundred thousand people who live in its locality.
The Night of the Eruption
Sixteen years after the warning earthquake, at noon on the 24th of August, 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius left an indelible mark on history by exploding ash, lava, and pumice onto the surrounding area.
Although most of Pompeii’s occupants fled for their lives, those who remained were killed the next morning when a toxic cloud of gas rolled into the city and suffocated them all. However, even if the gas didn’t kill the remaining people, the rock and ash flow that followed would have done - as it destroyed the walls and ceilings of the city and buried the dead - freezing them in the time.
We don’t know much about the night of the eruption, but what we do know was provided by Pliny the Younger, as he provided the only surviving eyewitness account.
Pliny, who was seventeen at the time, recounted his experiences roughly twenty-five years after the event to Tacitus - a Roman historian. Pliny told of how “people covered their heads with pillows, the only defence against a shower of stones,” and further detailed how “a dark and horrible cloud charged with combustible matter suddenly broke and set forth. Some bewailed their own fate. Others prayed to die.” Pliny the Younger’s terrifying reports further described an extraordinarily dense cloud, which rose above Mount Vesuvius, and detailed how a pine tree with wide-spreading branches was “sometimes bright and sometimes dark and spotted - impregnated with earth and cinders. After three tremors, the sea rolled back upon itself. Flashes appeared through dark clouds, and ash fell like a blanket of snow.”
According to Pliny’s descriptions, the eruption continued for eighteen hours, burying Pompeii under almost seventeen feet of ash. Herculaneum endured an even worse fate and was submerged under almost sixty feet of volcanic matter.
Fortunately, Pliny survived the disaster and grew up to become influential in his own rights. However, his uncle, Pliny the Elder, was not as lucky. Pliny the Elder was a commander of a Roman fleet of ships at Misenum, and hoping both to investigate the situation and help people escape the eruption, ordered his boats to sail across the bay to Stabiae. However, once he reached the far side of the Bay of Naples, toxic gasses, hot cinders, and large pieces of pumice and rock overcame the area. Pliny the Elder ignored his helmsman’s advice to turn back, and shortly after, the onshore winds prevented them from doing so.
Forced to endure the eruption at close range, and hoping to withstand the night, Pliny the Elder’s crew strapped pillows to their heads to protect themselves from falling debris. Yet, the strong winds didn’t change direction, and once Pliny sat down to rest, he met his fateful end.
Your DNA Connection to Pompeii
Although it was previously believed that the intense heat of Vesuvius’ pyroclastic surges would have left its victims unviable for DNA analysis, recent advances in technology and genome sequencing have drastically enhanced the quality of information that can be recovered from the bone matrix - in which DNA is found.
In particular, scientists have sequenced the first Pompeian human genome, specifically the genome of a Pompeiian from the House of the Craftsman (Casa del Fabbro), providing details of his life such as his age, genetic profile, and even the fact that he once had tuberculosis.
In 1933, the remains of a man and a woman were recovered from the Casa del Fabbro. Below is a detailed image showing the actual remains and how they were found.
They were found slumped in the corner of the dining room as it having a meal. The man was about 35-40 years old and the woman about 50. Despite a volcanic explosion, thermal shock and ash it was now for the first time possible to extract DNA from these remains (which are highlighted in the DNA Spotlight included in our database of ancient DNA samples).
There were gaps in the DNA of the woman but the man yielded an entire genome sequence. It turns out these residents likely stayed at home unable to run away from their impending fate as DNA sequences show the man had tuberculosis and the woman had been affected by osteoarthritis.
If you would like to know whether you have a DNA link to the Pompeiian from the House of the Craftsman, upload your raw DNA results to My True Ancestry for free to understand more about your genetic history.
