Considering it’s been about two millennia since an erupting Mt. Vesuvius buried Pompeii in ash, it’s a bit surprising archaeologists are still discovering new things in the ancient city’s ruins. But we’re very grateful they are. Last time we checked in, the Pompeii Archaeological Park had just reopened a site akin to an ancient Roman wine bar. Earlier this year, archaeologists uncovered another dining landmark: a wine-and-food fresco.
“Pompeii never ceases to amaze; it is a chest that always reveals new treasures,” said Italian minister of culture Gennaro Sangiuliano in a statement. “The global value of this site, which we are dedicating our attention to, needs to be underlined.”
Located in the atrium of a house in the 10th subsection (or “insula”) of the wider Regio IX area of Pompeii, the painting depicts a silver goblet of wine beside a round, well-topped flatbread, all on a silver platter. Wait … round? Bread? Toppings? Could this be pizza? Not quite. It’s missing mozzarella and tomatoes, the latter of which didn’t arrive in Europe until the Renaissance. So really, we’re talking focaccia.
While there’s no way of telling what pizza wine the painting depicts (though we have some guesses), we do have information on the mural itself: It’s a xenia motif, a type of still life representing gifts that homeowners would offer to guests. (Adding an international dimension, Romans adopted this practice from Hellenic Greek culture.) As the newly discovered fresco shows, those gifts included pomegranates, spices, a pesto-style condiment and (possibly) dates over a flatbread at this particular house. Conveniently, it appears the domicile was connected to a bakery.
“I think about the contrast between a modest and simple meal … on one side, and the luxury of the silver trays and the refinement of the artistic and literary representations on the opposite side,” said Pompeii Archaeological Park general director Gabriel Zuchtriegel in a statement. “How can we not think about pizza, also born as a ‘poor’ dish in Southern Italy that has now conquered the world and is served in Michelin star restaurants?”
Archaeologists first uncovered the structure of this house in the 19th century. But it wasn’t until a new dig started in January that researchers discovered the mural, adding one more item to Pompeii’s considerable list of culinary curiosities. Per the Pompeii Archaeological Park, this mural is one of approximately 300 in ancient sites near Mt. Vesuvius.
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