Formation of organic glass from a human brain

Although human brain preservation is documented in the archaeological record, it is a relatively infrequent phenomenon. The known mechanisms responsible for such occurrences are dehydration, saponification, tanning, and freezing29, but not vitrification. In addition, neuronal structures are poorly preserved in ancient brains44,45,46. Our comprehensive chemical and physical characterization of the material sampled from the skull of a human body buried at Herculaneum by the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius shows compelling evidence that these are human brain remains, composed of organic glass formed at high temperatures, a process of preservation never previously documented for human or animal tissue, neither brain nor any other kind. DSC analyses conducted at contrasting heating rates (25 K min− 1 and 1000 K s− 1) revealed consistent patterns indicative of three primary processes occurring within the samples during heating up to 670 °C. The most relevant process is the onset of a stru ... Read full article.