A new genetic analysis of 14 bodies recovered from Pompeii is casting doubt on some of the initial interpretations of their identities before the cataclysmic volcanic eruption. A team of archaeologists and geneticists used a new genomic analysis to find out more about who these individuals were.

But new DNA evidence suggests things were not as they seem — and these prevailing interpretations come from looking at the ancient world through modern eyes. “We were able to disprove or challenge some of the previous narratives built upon how these individuals were kind of found in relation to each other,

New DNA analysis of Pompeii victims reveals that many assumed family relationships based on proximity were incorrect.