It’s one of the many stories told by observers of the victims of the tragedy that struck the ancient town. But DNA evidence recently published in Current Biology suggests things were not as they seem.

Pompeii’s unique preservation of the tragic tableaux of its citizens’ final moments has provided archaeologists with a way to understand what life was like during the Roman Empire. Located about 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) southeast of Naples in what ...

This new study probed the DNA evidence that has been taken from some of these bodies. The team used the same strontium isotopes that were used to date the DNA samples to get a better understanding of the diversity and origins of Pompeii’s residents.