Ancient Roman Man's Brain Turns to Glass After Vesuvius Eruption

herculaneum, naples, italy - The brain of a man turned into glass naturally during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, a phenomenon never seen before.

Ancient Roman Man's Brain Turns to Glass After Vesuvius Eruption

The brain of a man found in Herculaneum in the 1960s, a Roman settlement near Naples destroyed by Vesuvius in 79 AD, has transformed into glass. The man, likely a religious guard, was found in a building dedicated to Emperor Augustus. Researchers discovered dark fragments resembling obsidian or volcanic glass in his skull during a recent examination of his remains. Pier Paolo Petrone, the lead researcher, described the glass-like fragments found in the man's skull, indicating vitrification of his brain due to exposure to extreme heat during the volcanic eruption. This transformation preserved the biological brain tissue and its microstructures, a world-first discovery in organic vitrification of human or animal remains.