Pompeii: A Molecular Portrait

Advances in genomics and bioarchaeology have expanded our ability to reconstruct history. Thanks to palaeogenomic and stable isotope analyses on ancient human remains, along with metaproteomic and metagenomic analyses of dental calculus, many features of individuals and populations can be inferred, as well as their genetic ancestry and legacy, integrating them into larger biological, social and cultural frameworks (migrations, admixture events, cultural and social interactions, commercial networks). Pompeii, the Roman city preserved under volcanic ash since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, is a time capsule of the Roman antiquity and is part of UNESCO World Heritage List. The aim of this project is to reconstruct the living conditions and the social settings of this emblematic city of the Roman World. Starting from skeletal material and dental calculus, we will obtain whole genome and proteomic data for >130 Pompeiians, recovering information about sex, phenotypic (e.g. skin, hair, eye color) and functional (e.g. lactose and gluten intolerance, calcium metabolism) traits, genetic diseases, kin relationships and migration patterns. For that end, we shall use the most advanced ancient DNA sequencing technologies, bioinformatics methods for genomic analyses of degraded samples and developments in high-throughput, high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Minimally-invasive techniques will guarantee the conservation of the skeletal remains; optimized DNA extraction and NGS library preparation methods will be used for recovering even highly fragmented molecules, and whole-genome sequencing will be performed at median-high (2-10x) coverage. Preliminary results from a first set of samples showed a good preservation of the endogenous DNA, and attest the feasibility of the project. Variations in carbon (13C), nitrogen (15N) and sulfur ( 34S) stable isotopes in bone and teeth will provide information about the diet of the individuals. Analysis of strontium isotopes will be used to reconstruct population or individual movements. All this information will be interpreted in the light of the available archaeological, anthropological, historical, textual and cultural information, to extract new knowledge about the lifestyle and the biological and sociocultural aspects of the Roman civilization. By comparing the Pompeii genomes with those of a large database of human genome diversity we shall highlight the genealogical relationships of these people from prehistory up to the present. The results of this project will be available to scientists and researchers of different backgrounds, documentary creators as well as the wider public of the Pompeii Archaeological Park and other museum institutions. Furthermore, they promise to have a tangible impact at cultural, scientific, social and economic levels thanks to the proposed approach oriented to cultural heritage preservation and valorization with implications at local, regional and national level.