The eruption of Vesuvius turned a Romanʼs brain into glass. Scientists examined it

Nearly 2 000 years after a young man died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, scientists have discovered that his brain has been preserved — and turned to glass.

This is reported in the journal Scientific Reports.

The deceased is believed to be a man in his 20s. He may have served as a guard at the College of Augustus (priests of the imperial cult) in Herculaneum, where his skeleton was found. Fragments of his brain were found in 2020.

To confirm that the vitreous fragments from the skull and spine of the deceased were indeed human brains, the scientists used electron microscopy, calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy. The chemical composition and the presence of proteins and fatty acids characteristic of brain tissue in the samples confirmed the assumption of their organic origin. In addition, the researchers found well-preserved elements of neural structures.

To transform into a glassy state, the tissues had to be heated rapidly to a temperature of +510 °C, and then cooled rapidly. Presumably, the manʼs body was first briefly enveloped in a cloud of hot ash. The bones of the skull and spine partially protected the brain from direct contact with the hot volcanic emissions, preventing the tissues from completely vaporising.

As the ash settled, the temperature dropped—the brain “vitrified”. In much the same way that molten liquid glass solidifies after cooling.

This is the only known case of human brain tissue preserved in a vitreous form. Approximately 2 000 bodies have been found in the Vesuvius area, but no other similar examples have been found. This discovery adds to our knowledge of the physical processes that occurred during the eruption of the volcano and how the inhabitants of Pompeii and nearby cities perished.

• The eruption of Vesuvius began on the afternoon of August 24 (according to other sources, October 24) 79 AD and led to the destruction of three cities — Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabia, as well as several villages and villas. The eruption was so powerful that ash from it flew as far as Egypt and Syria. Of the 20 thousand inhabitants of Pompeii, about 2 thousand died. Most of the inhabitants left the city before the disaster, but the exact number of deaths is unknown.

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