Ancient DNA and Family Relationships in a Pompeian House

Abstract

SummaryArchaeological, anthropological and pathological data suggest that thirteen skeletons found in a house at the Pompeii archaeological site, dated to 79 A.D., belong to one family. To verify this and to identify the relationships between these individuals, we analyzed DNA extracted from bone specimens. Specifically, hypervariable segment 1 (HVS1) of the human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region was amplified in two overlapping polymerase chain reactions and the sequences were compared to the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence. As independent controls, other polymorphic sites in HVS1, HVS2 and in the coding region were analyzed. We also amplified some short tandem repeats of the thirteen specimens. This study revealed that six of the thirteen individuals are indeed closely related.

Preamplification Procedure for the Analysis of Ancient DNA Samples

“…As control, we analysed two bone remains belonging to skeletons found in Caius Iulius Polybius house in Pompeii (79 A.D.), whose molecular data were previously reported [24, 25]. Bone samples were treated to avoid contamination as already described [25]. …”

“…DNA was extracted from ancient samples using a previously reported procedure [25, 26] with slight modifications. One hundred milligrams of bone powder was demineralized in 1.5 mL of EDTA 0.5 M (pH 8.0) and 100  μ L of 20 mg/mL proteinase K in a rotary shaker.…”

“…The AMG preamplification assay was also tested on previously characterized skeletal remains from a Pompeii archaeological site [24, 25]. …”

Recovery and amplification of ancient DNA from Herculaneum victims killed by the 79 AD Vesuvius hot surges

“…Human and equine Pompeian remains were also successfully investigated to prove the presence of ancient DNA within the osteocytic lacunae by means of histochemical methods (Guarino et al, 2000(Guarino et al, , 2006. Finally, a new molecular study on the thirteen skeletons found in the House of Polybius in Pompeii revealed that six individuals were genetically closely related (Di Bernardo et al, 2009).…”

“…Favorable aDNA preservation due to burial conditions was also shown by Bailey et al (1999), who extracted DNA from a young Barbary macaque from the Sarno Baths in Pompeii. More recently, analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA fragments was performed on five equids discovered in Pompeii within the House of the Chaste Lovers and on an equid found in the archaeological site of Herculaneum, thus allowing the taxonomical status of these equids to be tested (Di Bernardo et al, 2004a, 2004b. Human and equine Pompeian remains were also successfully investigated to prove the presence of ancient DNA within the osteocytic lacunae by means of histochemical methods (Guarino et al, 2000(Guarino et al, , 2006.…”