"The detection of glassy material from the victim's head, of proteins expressed in human brain, and of fatty acids found in human hair indicates the thermally induced preservation of vitrified human brain tissue," the study wrote at the time.
A HUNK of dark-coloured glass found inside the skull of an individual who died during the Mount Vesuvius eruption may actually be a fossilised brain, researchers have revealed.
But the extreme heat from the short-lived ash cloud that swept through the ancient town of Herculaneum in 79CE likely turned the individuals brain to glass, according to a new study.
A glassy, black material was also found inside the skull of a man who was found on a wooden bed, buried by volcanic ash.
Researchers Dr Guido Giordano and Dr Pier Paola Petrone analysed fragments of glass from inside the skull and spinal cord of the person.
