Archaeologists working in Pompeii have excavated the remains of a house, revealing extraordinary evidence of life in the city before the deadly volcanic eruption that wreaked death and destruction in 79 CE.
Recent discoveries include the remains of three human skeletons, an oven used for cooking, a small shrine which likely had religious significance, and the charred remains of a bed which bear witness to the rapid devastation caused by the disaster.
Among the most intriguing finds is a collection of exquisite frescoes that adorned the walls of the dwelling.
One of these frescoes depicts a very familiar-looking food served on a metal plate: a pizza.
Unravel the riddle of the ancient “pizza”
Although it is not strictly speaking a pizza, but rather a round focaccia with toppings, this recent discovery is probably one of the most striking representations of this internationally famous food that has been discovered. these last years.
Pompeii is a stone’s throw from Naples, the city of pizza, but the key ingredients for the preparation of Italy’s signature dish, tomatoes and mozzarella, were not available when the mural was painted some 2,000 years ago.
Experts believe the fresco actually depicts a focaccia, covered with fruit, including pomegranates and dates, and spiced up with spices.
A few meters away there is a large, well-preserved oven, large enough to produce 100 loaves of bread a day.
About 50 ovens have been unearthed in Pompeii, but experts believe this one was probably used by a wholesaler who distributed bread throughout the city, possibly to the many fast food outlets that made Pompeii famous .
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“This house is probably somewhere in between, on the upper class side, because we have paintings, this still life (fresco) here, other rooms with frescoes, but there’s also a bakery with a the interior of the house, which is unusual for upper-class elite houses”explains Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the archaeological site of Pompeii.
Echoes of tragedy
A few meters from the oven, three skeletons were found lying on the ground, their bones shattered.
Analysis suggests that they belonged to two women and a 3-4 year old child who had taken refuge in one of the rooms to escape the eruption and who died crushed by the collapse of the roof.
“They were badly damaged by the collapse of the structures on the upper floors of the house, so we see bones and skulls broken by the impact of the building collapse”explains Mr. Zuchtriegel.
“These people, probably two women and a child, were hiding here during the eruption. It started raining pumice stones. So the natural reaction was to take cover, hide under a roof “, added, the director of the archaeological site of Pompeii.
The drama, which unfolded during the decisive days of October 79 AD. AD, is also unveiled in another part of the house, in what once served as a bedroom.
The bed itself is nothing more than a charred mass, the result of the fire. It’s hard to recognize, as only a dim outline remains, etched hauntingly into the walls and floor around it.
Shrine covered in snakes
In another room, archaeologists recently discovered the “Lararium”, a magnificent sanctuary where the inhabitants confided their hopes, wishes and prayers to the gods.
It is decorated with two painted stucco snakes, animals which in Roman times were symbols of prosperity and auspiciousness, representing a link with the ancestors.
These latest excavations return to a sector of the park explored for the last time at the end of the 19th century, but it is only now, for the first time, that its entire surface and this domus have been revealed.
“Our goal is not to search the whole city, which would be very irresponsible, because you can only search once. Searches are in a way a form of destruction,” emphasizes Gabriel Zuchtriegel.
“Maybe in the future they will be able to get even more information, so we should also leave something for the future”he adds.
Watch the video above for a closer look at recent discoveries made in the domus of Pompeii.
