Science Visualized Anthropology

These human nerve cell tendrils turned to glass nearly 2,000 years ago

Part of a young man’s brain was preserved by hot ash from Mount Vesuvius’ A.D. 79 eruption

preserved nerve cells

Nerve cells (tendrils in this microscope image) turned to glass inside the brain of a young man who died in Mount Vesuvius’ A.D. 79 eruption, preserving these neurons for nearly 2,000 years.

P. Petrone et al/PLOS One 2020

By Laura Sanders

- More than 2 years ago

Nearly 2,000 years ago, a cloud of scorching ash from Mount Vesuvius buried a young man as he lay on a wooden bed.