The Fascinating Case of the Glass Brain: The Tragedy of Pompeii

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 is one of the most tragic and well-known events in ancient history. The city of Pompeii was quickly buried by a cloud of volcanic ash, instantly preserving the everyday life of its inhabitants. However, a recent discovery revealed an even more surprising and macabre detail: the brain of one of the victims turned to glass due to the extreme heat of the eruption. The Incredible Discovery Archaeologists discovered the remains of a young man lying in a bed in the Collegium Augustalium, a temple dedicated to the cult of Emperor Augustus, in Herculaneum, a neighboring city of Pompeii. While studying the remains, researchers noticed something unusual: glass fragments inside the victim's skull. After detailed analysis, they confirmed that it was vitrified brain tissue. The Vitrification Process The vitrification process occurs when organic tissue is exposed to extremely high temperatures and rapidly cooled. In the case of Pompeii, temperatures during...