Mount Vesuvius eruption 'turned victim's brain to glass'

Scientists discover vitrified remains caused by immense 520C heat of disaster in AD79

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79, the damage wreaked in nearby towns was catastrophic. Now it appears the heat was so immense it turned one victim's brain to glass - thought to be the first time this has been seen.

Experts say they have discovered that splatters of a shiny, solid black material found inside the skull of a victim at Herculaneum appear to be the remains of human brain tissue transformed by heat.