Pompeii skeleton identified as likely doctor

Archaeologists have identified a Pompeii victim from the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius as most likely a Roman doctor, using a combination of advanced CT scans and 3D digital reconstruction. The Pompeii Archaeological Park announced the finding, which adds a new layer of understanding to the ancient tragedy.

As previously reported, the eruption unleashed thermal energy roughly equivalent to 100,000 times the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. Molten rock, pumice, and hot ash ravaged the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The vast majority of residents in these hardest-hit cities died from asphyxiation, choking on thick clouds of noxious gas and ash. However, some Vesuvian victims likely perished instantly from the intense heat of fast-moving lava flows, with temperatures high enough to boil brains and explode skulls.

In the 19th century, archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli developed a method to create casts of these frozen bodies by pouring liquid plaster into the voids left by decomposed soft tissue. To date, roughly 1,000 bodies have been discovered in the ruins, with 104 plaster casts preserved. About a decade ago, restoration efforts began on 86 of those casts. During this work, researchers used CT scans and X-rays to determine whether complete skeletons remained inside.

The CT scans and X-ray images revealed significant manipulation of the casts over time, driven by the aesthetic preferences of the eras in which they were made. Some features of the bodies’ shapes were altered, metal rods were added to stabilize the casts, and bones were frequently removed before casting. A 2024 ancient DNA analysis of four victims from the so-called “House of the golden bracelet” further challenged long-held assumptions. It found that all four bodies were male and none were genetically related, undermining preferred narratives and suggesting those stories may reflect certain cultural biases.