Massimo Nicolaci

You know the story: Mount Vesuvius erupts, Pompeii vanishes, thousands perish. But 2,000 years later, history’s most famous disaster is telling us something new.

In the cover story of our August issue, out now, we explore how AI and advanced DNA analysis are answering questions archaeologists could once only guess at. A cache of charred scrolls is readable again thanks to a pioneering virtual “unwrapping” technology. Newly excavated toilets at Pompeii have sparked a groundbreaking genomic study of ancient mental health. And 60 skeletons found huddled in a suburban storeroom could upend what historians know about Roman class and gender. Read this tale of Vesuvius by writer Sam Kean @historyschmistory and featuring photographs by @paoloverzone and video by @massimonicolaci at @natgeo

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