Sometimes we wonder where archaeologists’ and other researchers heads are at. They make far too many assumptions before any data is compiled and end up looking like fools. Case in point:
Pompeii DNA Overturns Long-Held Assumptions About Its Victims
The devastation of Pompeii by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE is one of the best-recorded disasters in human history. The ash and pumice that rained down preserved traces of the dying where they fell, leaving us to guess the identities and relationships of the people left frozen in time.
But we humans are imperfect. We navigate the world with perceptions and biases that cloud our observations, no matter how we try to remain objective. A new analysis of DNA retrieved from the victims of Pompeii reveals our assumptions about them were wrong – a discovery that is giving us insight into the bustling life of Pompeii, before a volcano snuffed it out.
“The scientific data we provide do not always align with common assumptions,” says geneticist David Reich of Harvard University.
“For instance, one notable example is the discovery that an adult wearing a golden bracelet and holding a child, traditionally interpreted as a mother and child, were an unrelated adult male and child. Similarly, a pair of individuals thought to be sisters, or mother and daughter, were found to include at least one genetic male. These findings challenge traditional gender and familial assumptions.”
The volcanic material dumped on Pompeii when Vesuvius exploded acted as a sort of flash fossilization process. It fell on and around the dead and dying, then set in place. When the bodies succumbed to time and decay, they left hollow impressions behind ash.
One would think they were smart enough to wait till studies, tests, and experiments were completed before making any statements. But they don’t. We can only surmise that they make these overturned assumptions announcements to prove to people they are doing work.
But in the end, their haste makes them look foolish as their claims turn out to be wrong. We are not saying they shouldn’t take a guess, but they should not announce it like it is written in stone.
It is best to make sure before you say anything. But the scientific fields seem to be the only fields that one does not lose credibility when they make these big errors.
The ruins were rediscovered in the 19th century; in the 1870s, plaster was poured into the hollows to create casts of the bodies that had created them. But the shapes of the bodies weren’t the only thing preserved. The bones left behind were also sealed into the plaster.
The archaeologists who made the casts in the 19th century couldn’t have foreseen the emergence of future technology; nevertheless, their work would prove invaluable more than 150 years later. That’s because the casts give us context for details preserved in the genetic makeup of the victims, which in turn helps us understand life in Pompeii and Roman-era Italy.
We are skeptical of these modern technological advances. Often they are used to find things that are not there or to prop up a theory that was made before the facts were in.
Both the extreme heat during the volcanic eruption and the plaster casting process could be detrimental for long-term DNA preservation. In genetic analyses, we usually try to target skeletal elements that are known to preserve DNA exceptionally well, such as the inner ear portion of the skull or teeth,” she explained.
This is what makes us skeptical. We were taught how vulnerable DNA and other genetic are to dirt and other elements yet now scientists are making claims that those elements do not matter and every sample they study seems to be pristine.
The inner ear area can easily be compromised due to the ear canal being a great tunnel for particles, etc., to travel. But that is a minor issue. Our point is that scientists should not pander to the public but do their tests first, then make their announcements.
In a disaster like a volcanic eruption, one should not assume that the people buried together were related. As we read in the book Unearthing Atlantis people become separated, find shelter anywhere, help others before being killed themselves, and so on.
It is wrong to assume they would all be related or of a particular gender. These recorded facts should be a part of all researchers’ knowledge preventing them from making assumptions that end up being wrong.
This has been one problem we have had to deal with over the years in our studies. We have come to the point where we do not trust one thing scientists and archaeologists claim.
They just do not know most of the time and publish conclusions and assumptions that are not factual. It is one of our pet peeves.
theoarch 