Once we know that vitrified brain tissue is a thing we can look out for, it's possible that we'll start finding more examples of this currently unique process, Mann said.

Archaeologists in the ancient city of Pompeii have discovered ancient brain matter that was turned into glass as a result of the volcanic eruption that devastated the city in 79 A.D.

Following the brief blast of heat, the body would have rapidly cooled, leaving behind the grisly remains of an exploded skull coated in vitrified brain bits, the authors noted. The 11 Biggest ...

The Herculaneum resident, killed by the volcanic eruption in 79 CE, presents the only known vitrified brain on Earth. Now, researchers have a theory for how it happened. The 2020 discovery baffled ...

No other vitrified brain remains were found at Herculaneum, Petrone added. Fragments of the glassy black material extracted from the victim's skull cavity. Testing revealed that this material was ...

But after doing extensive testing on the black material, they were able to conclusively prove it was indeed vitrified tissue – the man's brain and parts of his spinal cord had turned into glass.

New research published today in PLOS One describes the discovery of neuronal tissue in vitrified brain and spinal cord remains belonging to a victim of the Mount Vesuvius eruption, which blew its ...

A vitrified brain fragment from a victim of the volcanic eruption of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Getty Images. A team led by Pier Paolo Petrone, ...

An image from a Scanning Electron Microprobe (SEM) shows what scientists say is a vitrified (turned to glass) brain fragment. Micrograph Courtesy Guido Giordano, Università Roma Tre.

Once we know that vitrified brain tissue is a thing we can look out for, it's possible that we'll start finding more examples of this currently unique process, Mann said.