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MISTERY
UNDER THE ASHES 79
AD, Pompeii is buried by the lava erupted out of Vesuvius. Houses,
people, objects, all crystallized under a mantle of stones and ashes
remaining saved for nearly two thousand years.
The result is an extraordinary important archaeological site, a picture of the daily roman life, unique all over the world. Polibio’s house represents an extremely outstanding discovery and it has been studied from its finding, about 250 years ago. In that house were found 13 skeletons, including a foetus. The researchers are analysing mithocondrial DNA of the victims in the eruption of 79 AD, in order to state ethnic groups and their relationships. Studies are brought on by medicine experts, anthropologists and archaeologists all together, in order to get a global vision of Pompeii life at the moment of the eruption. Iulius Caius Polybius was a rich freedman, attending to bread business, as a wholesale dealer. In the year of the eruption, 79 AD, he was a candidate, in his town, to the office of “aedile”. His house, wide and very finely decorated, is a witness of his wealth and therefore he could allow himself a great deal of servants and slaves: that’s why no wonder for the thirteen skeletons found in his house. But, starting a series of the mithocondrial DNA analyses, some family ties came out and, with them, some mysteries. The mithocondrial DNA is transferred through mothers and, thanks to this preliminary remark, the researchers have stated that the first six bodies, had to be brothers or, at most, cousins on mother’s side. Therefore,
being Polibio one of the skeleton about 65, here we have the first
mystery: where is the youth’s mother? Besides, the position of some
skeletons, embracing each other, owing to the last moments’ dread,
makes us suppose of their close, at least affective, relationship.
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