New genetic study debunks long-held assumptions about Pompeii's tragic figures

In a stunning revelation, DNA analysis has uncovered fresh insights into the victims of Pompeii. The catastrophic eruption in 79AD blanketed the city in a thick layer of ash, preserving the final moments of its inhabitants.

This allowed archaeologists to create lifelike casts of the victims, weaving tales about their identities and relationships. Among these, the Daily Mail highlights a cast previously thought to depict a mother cradling her daughter, known as the 'Two Maidens'.

However, new genetic evidence has shattered this belief, revealing that the larger figure was actually a man, and the child, previously thought to be female, was a boy, with no genetic link between them. Researchers have since speculated that they might have been servants or slaves, or possibly children of servants or slaves residing in the house.

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Alissa Mittnik from the Max Planck Institute commented on the uncertainty surrounding their true identities, saying: "But of course we don't really know, and we can't really say, who these individuals were and how they interacted with each other."

Researchers have been examining 14 casts undergoing restoration by extracting DNA from the skeletal fragments mixed within them. They aim to determine the sex, ancestry and genetic relationships between the victims, reports .

The study debunked several stories from 'the house of the golden bracelet', where an assumed mother and child were found. It was previously believed that the adult, who wore a golden bracelet, was a woman.

Nearby, more bodies of an adult and a child were thought to be part of the same family. However, DNA evidence revealed that all four were male and not related.

David Caramelli of the Universita di Firenze, co-author of the study, said: "This study illustrates how unreliable narratives based on limited evidence can be, often reflecting the worldview of the researchers at the time."

When the bodies were first discovered, researchers looked at their positioning as well as the location - leading to assumptions about their relationships. Another famous example is two bodies found close to each other in an embrace.

Archaeologists at the time said that there were three possibilities for their relationship: they were mother and daughter, two sisters or lovers. However, after scanning the skeletal remains, researchers have now determined that the victims were male and female and one was between the ages of 14 and 19 while the other was 22.

The team found that the ancient people were descended from ancestors who migrated to region from the eastern Mediterranean and North African populations that may have included central and east Turkey, Sardinia, Lebanon and Italy. They were also able to partially reconstruct their appearance, finding one had black hair and dark skin and two others had brown eyes.

More genetic testing is needed however to fully understand Pompeii's past.

Alissa continued: " When the bodies were first discovered, their positioning and location led to assumptions about their relationships. Another famous example is two bodies found close together in an embrace."

And added, "It opens up different interpretations for who these people might have been."