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A fragment of the organic glass that was found inside the skull of the deceased individual, who was killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, at the archaeological site of Herculaneum in Italy, is pictured in this image released on Feb. 27, 2025. Pier Paolo Petrone/Handout via Reuters
It was a surprising discovery when scientists examining the remains of a man who died in bed in the ancient city of Herculaneum after Italy’s Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD found dark fragments resembling obsidian inside his skull. It turns out the eruption had somehow turned his brain into glass.
It is the only case on record of such a phenomenon, and researchers now have answers for why and how it happened.
