Archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop in Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, which served the ancient equivalent of street food to Roman passersby.
Known as a termopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, the shop was discovered at the Regio V site of the archaeological park, which is not yet open to the public, unveiled on Saturday.
In some of the deep terra cotta jars containing hot food which the shopkeeper lowered into a counter with circular holes, traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food were found.
The front of the counter was decorated with brightly colored frescoes, some of which depicted animals, such as a chicken and two ducks hanging upside down, that were part of the food ingredients sold.
“This is an extraordinary find. It’s the first time we are excavating an entire termopolium,” said Massimo Ossana, director of the Pompeii archaeological park.
A carved bronze drinking bowl is known as patera, ceramic jars used for preparing stews and soups, wine flasks, and amphora, have also been discovered by archaeologists.
When it was covered under ash, pumice pebbles, and dust, Pompeii, 23 km (14 miles) southeast of Naples, was home to around 13,000 individuals as it experienced the impact of an explosion equal to many atomic bombs.
“Our preliminary analyses show that the figures drawn on the front of the counter, represent, at least in part, the food and drink that were sold there,” said Valeria Amoretti, a site anthropologist.
In the containers, Amoretti said traces of pork, fish, snails, and beef were found, a finding she called a testament to the large range of animal products used for the preparation of dishes.
Of the 66-hectare (165-acre) ancient site, about two-thirds have been discovered. The ruins were not identified until the 16th century and organized excavations began about 1750.
Pompeii, a rare record of Greco-Roman life, is one of the most famous attractions in Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Source: Reuters