Archaeologists find evidence of neurons in glassy brain of Vesuvius victim

We now have fresh evidence that this might, indeed, have been the case, according to a new paper in PLOS ONE, reporting the discovery of preserved human neurons in the victim with the "glassified" brain. "The discovery of brain tissue in ancient human remains is an unusual event," said co-author Pier Paulo Petrone of the University Federico II of Naples.

"The extraordinary discovery of perfectly preserved ancient neuronal structures has been induced by the conversion of human tissue into glass, which is indicative of the rapid cooling of the hot volcanic ash clouds that hit Herculaneum at the beginning of the eruption” said co-author Guido Giordano, a volcanologist at the University of Roma Tre. I was more interested in knowing why brain material would preserve so well in this particular context, when the same team has argued repeatedly that the soft tissues of the victims of Herculaneum were completely vaporized.

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