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Ancient Roman guard's brain turned to glass after Vesuvius eruption
StudyFinds ^
| February 28, 2025
| Staff, Reviewed by Steve Fink
Posted on 03/01/2025 10:46:14 PM PST by SunkenCiv
...the only known case of natural organic glass preservation in history. The brain vitrified at temperatures above 510°C followed by extremely rapid cooling, revealing a new timeline of volcanic hazards during the disaster. This unique preservation was only possible because of a perfect sequence: superheated ash cloud exposure, rapid cooling as the cloud dissipated, then burial by cooler volcanic flows...
The victim, believed to be approximately 20 years old, was discovered in the Collegium Augustalium, a public building dedicated to the worship of Emperor Augustus. He is believed to have been the guardian of this important structure, which was located on Herculaneum's main street. When archaeologists examined his remains, they discovered the unique dark-colored organic glass with the appearance of obsidian.
Through detailed analysis including microscopy, heat testing, and light-based identification techniques, researchers determined this wasn't just any preserved organic material. It was actually the victim's brain transformed into glass at temperatures exceeding 510°C. More astonishing still, previous research in 2020 confirmed the presence of preserved neurons in the vitrified material, adding to the significance of this latest discovery.
(Excerpt) Read more at studyfinds.org ...
TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: ancientautopsies; brain; brains; collegeofaugustales; collegiumaugustalium; godsgravesglyphs; herculaneum; romanempire; rome; vesuvius; vitrification; vitrifiedtissue; volcano
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To: Getready
Yes, glassware would have been accurate. Lots of minerals will crystallize under the right conditions but are not glass. Obsidian is a form of rock, but it isn’t made of silicon-oxide.
21
posted on
03/02/2025 1:25:51 AM PST
by
Jonty30
(Groundhogs don't falsify their predictions for grant money, whereas climate scientists do. )
To: SunkenCiv
Wow! Glass!
Thats unreal...
Bet they could see his final thoughts...one of which was “Oh shitus!”
22
posted on
03/02/2025 2:30:13 AM PST
by
Adder
(End fascism...defeat all Democrats.)
To: SunkenCiv
510 degrees? So we’d be able to make glass brains in a pizza oven?
23
posted on
03/02/2025 2:37:12 AM PST
by
Bullish
(...And just like that I was kicked off the Ping list.)
To: SunkenCiv
24
posted on
03/02/2025 3:17:19 AM PST
by
redfreedom
(Happiness is shopping at Walmart and not hearing Spanish once!)
To: SunkenCiv
Looks like carbonite.
Was the subject’s name Han Solo?
25
posted on
03/02/2025 3:31:13 AM PST
by
Cletus.D.Yokel
(Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alteration; The acronym defines the science.)
To: SunkenCiv
Once I was in Herculaneum,
Thought I heard a blast.
Soon turned out
I had a brain of glass.
26
posted on
03/02/2025 4:04:43 AM PST
by
married21
(As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
To: SunkenCiv
A truly hotheaded Italiano.
27
posted on
03/02/2025 4:39:18 AM PST
by
equaviator
(If 60 is the new 40 then 35 must be the new 15.)
To: Bullish
Hair ignites at 451F (Newsom’s could be lower)
Flambed?
28
posted on
03/02/2025 5:18:40 AM PST
by
sasquatch
(Do NOT forget Ashli Babbit! c/o piytar)
To: Lazamataz
You’d likely immediately apply for welfare benefits, get fat on doritos, and buy a computer. I mean, I sure would. Oh but with the computer, you could learn enough to get fat the healthy way, on cassava chips instead!
29
posted on
03/02/2025 5:43:08 AM PST
by
Carry_Okie
(The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
To: married21; Red Badger
30
posted on
03/02/2025 7:55:49 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
To: Bullish
31
posted on
03/02/2025 8:12:55 AM PST
by
Scrambler Bob
(Running Rampant, and not endorsing nonsense; My pronoun is EXIT. And I am generally full of /S)
To: SunkenCiv
Blondie sang about a Heart of Glass…
32
posted on
03/02/2025 11:50:49 AM PST
by
BradyLS
(DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
To: BradyLS
33
posted on
03/02/2025 1:20:53 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
To: SunkenCiv; alexander_busek; Equine1952
Who couldn’t use a good Roman Collegium guard? His loyalty to duty is wayyyyy beyond question. :)
34
posted on
03/02/2025 9:12:54 PM PST
by
TigersEye
(The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
To: SunkenCiv
"...the only known case of natural organic glass preservation in history."
Well, maybe the first...
35
posted on
03/02/2025 9:21:46 PM PST
by
PLMerite
("They say that we were Cold Warriors. Yes, and a bloody good show, too. 😁 " - Robert Conquest )
To: SunkenCiv
The more clear-thinking Roman guards who met this same fate had glass brains that looked like this...
To: Songcraft; TigersEye; PLMerite
It's the first documented case of someone having their glass up their head.
37
posted on
03/02/2025 10:45:34 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
To: SunkenCiv
😎
To: SunkenCiv
39
posted on
03/02/2025 10:50:13 PM PST
by
TigersEye
(The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
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