The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 is well-known for burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In Herculaneum, the preserved skeleton of a young man lying in bed was found to contain glass remnants of his brain, a surprising discovery. When researchers studied these glass remnants, they observed what appeared to be nerve cells, leading to further investigation into how the glass may have formed.
Glass is typically formed when a liquid, such as molten sand, cools rapidly. This process is commonly used in manufacturing items like windows and cups, but can also occur naturally, such as when lightning strikes sand and forms fulgurites. Prior to the discovery of the glassy brain remnants in Herculaneum, glassy biological soft tissues had never been found in nature. The researchers used a technique called differential scanning calorimetry to determine the temperature at which the glass had formed, which was around 510° Celsius.
The researchers concluded that the hot volcanic ash, rock, and gas that engulfed Herculaneum during the eruption could not have turned the brain chunks into glass, as similar pyroclastic flows are not hot enough to do so. Instead, they suggested that a much hotter ash cloud had likely hit the young man and dissipated quickly, allowing for the necessary rapid cooling to form the glass. The remains were then buried in thick volcanic debris afterward.
The fact that the young man’s brain did not completely disintegrate in the extreme heat may have been due to his skull providing protection. The bones of the skull could have prevented direct contact with the ash cloud, potentially preserving the brain tissue enough to turn it into glass. This research sheds light on the unique preservation of the young man’s brain and provides insights into the extreme conditions during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.
Understanding how biological tissues can be preserved in extreme conditions, such as the volcanic eruption that buried Herculaneum, can provide valuable insights into the preservation of human remains and artifacts in archaeological sites. This study highlights the importance of investigating rare and unusual findings to further our understanding of natural processes and historical events. The discovery of the glassy brain remnants in Herculaneum opens up new avenues for research into the effects of volcanic eruptions on soft tissues and the potential for preservation in extreme environments.
