First Pompeian Genome Sequenced from Casa del Fabbro Remains

An international research team led by Gabriele Scorrano has sequenced the complete genome of a Pompeii victim for the first time, published today in Scientific Reports. The individual died in the Casa del Fabbro during the 79 AD Vesuvius eruption. The study also confirmed a diagnosis of tuberculosis in the remains. The two skeletons—a man aged 35–40 (164.3 cm) and a woman over 50 (153.1 cm)—were found in 1933 by Amedeo Maiuri but left in situ until 2016, when renovation of the Casa del Fabbro prompted their removal. Anthropologist Serena Viva, second author, explained that multidisciplinary analysis included macroscopic examination, paleopathological observation, and radiography of lumbar vertebrae showing signs of tuberculous spondylitis. Genetic analysis confirmed the TB diagnosis, a disease endemic in imperial Rome due to population density. Only the male genome was fully sequenced; the female yielded insufficient DNA. The team demonstrated that pyroclastic materials may have protected DNA from degradation, enabling future paleogenomic studies on Pompeian remains to reconstruct ancient lifestyles.