The counter frozen by volcanic ash could provide valuable information on gastronomic habits in Pompeii at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius.
Le Monde avec AFP
A thermopolium, a sort of ancient “fast-food”, has been unearthed in Pompeii, decorated with polychrome motifs and in an exceptional state of conservation, the site officials announced Italian, Saturday December 26. The counter frozen by volcanic ash had been partly exhumed in 2019. The work was extended to preserve the entire site as well as possible, located in an area that was very busy.
In addition to a fresco already known representing a Nereid (sea nymph) on a horse, the researchers found, painted in bright colors, animals, in particular poultry, including mallard ducks which were to be consumed with wine or hot drinks. Above all, scientists have found in the excavations of the table food reliefs that could provide valuable information on gastronomic habits in Pompeii at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius, in 79 AD.
A fragment of duck bone, but also the remains of pork, goat, fish and snails were recovered from the terracotta pots. Several ingredients were cooked together, much like a paella. At the bottom of a jar were found crushed beans, which were used to modify the taste of the wine.
Amphorae and human bones
“In addition to being a testimony on daily life in Pompeii, the possibilities for analyzing this thermopolium are exceptional, because for the first time an entire environment has been unearthed “, rejoiced Massimo Osanna, director general of the Pompeii archaeological park, quoted in a press release.
Amphorae, a cistern and a fountain, as well as human bones, have been found nearby, including those of a man in his fifties near a bed of child. “The stall appears to have been hastily closed and abandoned by its owners, but it is possible that someone, possibly the oldest man, remained and perished during the first phase of the eruption, in the collapse of the attic, “Osanna said in an interview with ANSA.
The other body could be that of a thief or a starving fugitive” surprised by the fiery vapors with the lid of the jar he had just opened in his hand, “he added.
Thermopoliums (from the Greek thermos, which means hot, and pôléô, which means to sell) were very popular in the Roman world. Pompeii had 80 alone.
Pompeii is the second most visited site in Italy after the Colosseum in Rome, with nearly 4 million visitors in 2019. Only a third of the site, which s ‘currently extends over 44 hectares not far from Naples, has been unearthed by archaeologists.