It all started with a bang

The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 destroyed entire cities, the most famous of which was Pompeii. Excavations of this city began in 1748 and continue to this day with varying intensity. During this time, hundreds of buildings were found, many paintings and inscriptions were discovered on the walls of the buildings, and hundreds of thousands of finds were made.

Among the open buildings were well-preserved residential buildings and even an old Roman tavern.

interesting findings

In 2018, archaeologists discovered a new lararium during work in area V of Pompeii. This is a small home shelter designed to worship home guards – penats and larks. Lararia was in almost all Pompeian houses, but at the same time they were very different from each other in their decoration.

Discovered four years ago, the sanctuary is a painted portion of the wall with a niche and an altar for sacrifices.

Archaeologists continued to explore this house. Excavations made it possible to open four rooms where various household items from the 1st century AD were preserved. One of the rooms examined was a bedroom, where the remains of a bedstead and pillows were preserved, the fabric texture of which is still visible. The bed found was the same in type as the one found in the slave room last year.

Excavations in the Building / Photo Pompeii Archaeological Park

Next to it was an open wooden crate, left by its owners, on which beams and boards fell from the ceiling. Inside the chest, archaeologists discovered a ceramic plate made of red unglazed clay (called terra sigillata) and an oil lamp depicting Zeus transforming into an eagle. Also in this room was a small round table with three legs, on which were another plate, ceramics, and glass bowls. In addition, ceramic and glass products were also under this table.

Another room that was examined turned out to be a cellar. It was the only room with earthen floors and unplastered walls. Inside, the researchers found an amphora and a shelf containing a pile of wooden boards, apparently intended for purposes ranging from the manufacture of furniture to the repair of buildings. In a small hallway, archaeologists also discovered the remains of a two-metre-high wooden cabinet that had been damaged by the collapse of the ceiling. Inside were at least five shelves that held glass dishes, as well as small jars and amphorae.

Photograph of archaeological finds

Photo: Pompeii Archaeological Park

During the examination of the upper chambers, the scientists discovered a polyptych, possibly originally made of waxed tablets that was stored on a shelf with other ceramic and bronze items. They also found various ceramic and glass vessels in a large broken cupboard. Next to them were also bronze products and a well-preserved censer, painted with colorful paints and decorated with a human figure.

Gabriel Zuchtrigel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, noted that the excavated house was not located in the most prestigious part of the city, where mostly representatives of the lower and middle classes lived. Yes, there was a beautifully decorated water tank in the garden of the house examined, but at the same time, the rooms themselves looked very modest, probably reflecting the lack of money for their decoration.