Dr. Sara C. Bisel (1932–1996) was a physical anthropologist and classical archaeologist who played a prominent role in early scientific research at Herculaneum, a Mediterranean coastal town destroyed by the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Her pioneering work in the chemical and physical analysis of skeletons yielded new insights into the nutrition and health of ancient populations.
[1] At the University of Minnesota, she earned a master's degree in classical area studies, with a specialization in Greek archaeology, and a Ph.D. in physical anthropology.
[2] In 1982 she was sent to Herculaneum by the National Geographic Society to assist with the excavation, preservation and analysis of human remains recovered from the town's ancient beach front.
Giuseppe Maggi, the director of the excavations, asked for international assistance in preserving the skeletons which, buried in wet volcanic soil, were degrading once exposed to air.