This skull and mandible, rumored to belong to Pliny the Elder, prompted new research to assess that claim. These findings may finally shed light on the resting place of Pliny, who perished while trying to rescue people from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Related: Preserved Pompeii: Photos of a city covered in ashAn illustration of Pliny the Elder, who perished in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of A.D. 79. "Both ranges cover the well-known age at death of Pliny," Fattore said. Perhaps, the skull was incomplete when Matrone found it, so he "reassembled the skull by 'borrowing' another jaw," Cionci said.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 03, 2020 12:33 UTC