Intact brain cells found in remains of Vesuvius eruption!!

CNN is reporting a study that appeared in the journal PLOS One detailing the discovery of intact brain cells of a young man who died in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

"The discovery was made when the experts studied remains first uncovered in the 1960s in Herculaneum, a city buried by ash during the volcanic eruption in AD 79.

"The victim, who was found lying face-down on a wooden bed in a building thought to have been devoted to the worship of the Emperor Augustus, was around 25 years old at the time of his death, according to the researchers."

Here's the college of the Augustales, where the unfortunate young man was found:



And to keep it numismatic, here's a coin of Titus, who was emperor when the eruption occurred, August 24, 79.


Titus as Caesar, AD 69-79.
Roman AR Denarius, 3.27 g, 18.5 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 76.
Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIAN, laureate head right.
Rev: COS V, Eagle standing front on garlanded altar, thunderbolt in claws, wings open, head left.
Refs: RIC.191a; RIC2.861; BMCRE 191; CBN 166; RSC.59a; RCV 2438.

 

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Really remarkable discovery. If only we could make a similar discovery in... oh, dear, never mind, wrong forum.

 

That's really cool. Around my age, I'd hate to be stuck at a resort town with an erupting volcano nearby. I'd probably be lying face down in a bed at a local place of worship too.

 

Very interesting @Roman Collector.

 

Sad for the young man but a trove of information for history and science.

 

What a way to get slabbed.

 

@Roman Collector - thank you for sharing this with us. That's wild (and gruesome) that his brain turned to glass - i didn't even realize that could happen. I wonder what kinds of things scientists and historians will be able to learn from these brain cells. Really incredible.

 

interesting thought for a volcanic eruption there instead of the usual eruptions...

 

...i think i could tell you what was going thru his mind without looking at his brain....

 

@-jeffB, Just, Having that.

 

For more recent precedent, you could look at (from memory: ) John Hersey, Hiroshima. Continuing the effectively strategic convergence of the best traditions in American journalism with the operant context.

 

...Nothing I could say wouldn't involve bad language. Except, Seconding that!

 

From what I've read of Vesuvius, I'm going to stick with "the faster, the less sad".

 

Toured the ruins 2018. My understanding is that most if not all residents died from the gas and ash. He was probably trying to muffle out the deadly gas and ash, that's why he was lying face down. IMHO.