In Pompeii, five new finds from a construction site that never ceases to fascinate

During recent excavations, the ancient city has uncovered unexpected wonders, which we discover in “Pompeii, its new secrets”, a documentary series by Elena Mortelliti, on Arte this Saturday and on Arte.tv.

An Apollo painted on the walls of the city buried two thousand years ago. Archaeological Park of Pompeii

By Virginie Félix

Published on September 28, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.

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Dn the heat of July, a handful of cottony cumulus clouds caress Vesuvius. With its round, harmless and distant silhouette, the colossus with its peeled skull stands out against the turquoise sky of Pompeii. Placidly surveying the 66 hectares of the city that he drowned under torrents of fire two thousand years ago. It’s 8 o’clock, and the archaeologists’ brushes are already scrubbing the dusty ground. The team of Italian researchers has just recovered from the ashes the skeleton of a resident trapped by the disaster. A find full of emotion. And a new piece to add to the infinite puzzle of Pompeii, this unfinished story that has fascinated tourists and scientists since the 19th century.^e century, and of which 20 hectares still remain unexplored.

A year and a half ago, excavations resumed in the northwest of the city, in block 10. Work undertaken out of necessity, to avoid land collapse. This new project brought its share of surprises and wonder, which were able to be filmed up close by Elena Mortelliti, who has been familiar with the site for ten years. In Pompeii, its new secrets, documentary series to watch on Arte, the director unfolds this treasure hunt full of twists and turns. During the filming of the last episode, we were able to visit this fascinating construction site. And discover with archaeologists some of the exhumed treasures.

Tiles and picks

Block 10, where research has resumed since 2023. Lion Television

Opposite the prefabs which serve as a kitchen area for the teams, an alley covered in scaffolding descends steeply towards the excavation area. Six meters in height separate the ground of the ancient city and the thick layer of grass which covered the site. A geological sandwich which we take the measure of here, superposition of pumice stones and volcanic rocks propelled by Vesuvius which have frozen the city in an eternal sleep. Patiently, since February 2023, excavators have excavated from the mineral matrix a residential and commercial complex probably belonging to a wealthy Pompeian.

And where restoration work had been undertaken shortly before the eruption. “In 79, Pompeii was a city under construction because many houses had been destroyed by a recent earthquake,” explains Gennaro Iovino, chief archaeologist. In the atrium, piles of tiles and bricks, intact, have been waiting for two thousand years, amphorae filled with lime are stored against a wall, alongside masonry tools, some of which have nothing to envy of those of ‘Today. “We have here a fairly unique illustration of the construction techniques and materials of the time. Everything looks ready to go. Which makes the discovery even more moving. »

A prison bakery

Aerial view of the prison bakery. Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Under the thick layer of lapilli (these fragments of pumice which covered the buildings), an imposing bread oven emerged. Designed for commercial use, say the researchers. In an adjoining room, grain mills intended for the production of flour. If the owner of the opulent residence led a prosperous life, it was certainly thanks to the bread trade. Business which had its dark side as archaeologists observed when discovering what they describe as “prison bakery” : an enclosed space where slaves carried out an alienating activity, in the darkness, the heat of the oven and the air saturated with dust. Recluse behind barred windows, they would have been trapped here on the day of the tragedy, as evidenced by the three bodies found on site.

The first “pizza”

Is it in Pompeii, a stone’s throw from Naples, birthplace of the margherita, that we would find the first traces of pizza? The rumor excited the spirits after the unearthing in June 2023, on a wall of the tablinum (a room overlooking the atrium), of an astonishing fresco representing a silver platter covered with fruit, a cup of wine and with a curious garnished pancake. The still life, with its vibrant colors, seemed to have been painted the day before.

In the enthusiasm of the discovery, Gennaro Iovino remembers having written to the director of the site: “After the oven, we found the pizza!” » The sentence went viral, reducing to this somewhat abusive formula what would in reality be “a focaccia”, corrects the archaeologist with a smile… In ancient Rome, these were traditionally used as a support for offerings. And the fresco discovered in the villa could be the delightful decorative translation of this.

Who are these snakes?

The snakes, guarantees of prosperity, guard the altar. Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Two reptiles pointed out the tips of their forked tongues when teams cleared the walls of a small room adjoining the bakery. A bas-relief decorated with undulating snakes at the foot of which stood an altar. “A space dedicated to the lares, the protective gods of the house, explain Gennaro Iovino. Snakes symbolized abundance and prosperity, which the owner of the place must aspire to. »

On the ground, traces of offerings were found: dried fruits, pine nuts, but also, more rarely, fragments of pig bones, fish bones. Researchers wonder: a final desperate gesture at the time of the catastrophe, to appease the anger of the gods?

The Trojan War took place (in the dining room)

Hélène and Paris, on the fresco revealed in the dark room. Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Walls black as coal where drawings of a goldsmith’s delicacy stand out: two scenes from theIliad representing Paris and Helen and, opposite, Cassandra and Apollo. The highlight of the discoveries is certainly these magnificent frescoes revealed in the triclinium, an immense dining room which served as a reception room. “Those who lived here wanted to display their education, their knowledge of Greek mythology, very fashionable then among the elites, analysis Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the antique site. The owner of the premises, a merchant or entrepreneur, probably belonged to the upper middle class, a sort of bourgeoisie eager to rise socially. Through this residence, we perceive two sides of Pompeian society. The splendor of a life of representation but also, on the other side of the wall, the harshness of the slave condition. »