Archaeologists uncover ancient street food shop in Pompeii
Traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food were found in some of the deep terra cotta jars containing hot food which the shopkeeper lowered into a counter with circular holes.
By Reuters, December 26, 2020
Archaeologists in Pompeii,
the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, have made the
extraordinary find of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop that served up
the ancient equivalent of street food to Roman passersby.
Known
as a termopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, the shop was discovered
in the archaeological park's Regio V site, which is not yet open the
public, and unveiled on Saturday.
Traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food were found in some of the deep
terra cotta jars containing hot food which the shop keeper lowered into
a counter with circular holes.
The
front of the counter was decorated with brightly colored frescoes, some
depicting animals that were part of the ingredients in the food sold,
such as a chicken and two ducks hanging upside down.
"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.
Archaeologists
also found a decorated bronze drinking bowl known as a patera, ceramic
jars used for cooking stews and soups, wine flasks and amphora.
Pompeii,
23 km (14 miles) southeast of Naples, was home to about 13,000 people
when it was buried under ash, pumice pebbles and dust as it endured the
force of an eruption equivalent to many atomic bombs.
"Our
preliminary analyzes shows 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.
Amoretti
said traces of pork, fish, snails and beef had been found in the
containers, a discovery she called a "testimony to the great variety of
animal products used to prepare dishes."
About
two-thirds of the 66-hectare (165-acre) ancient town has been
uncovered. The ruins were not discovered until the 16th century and
organized excavations began about 1750.
A rare documentation of Greco-Roman life, Pompeii is one of Italy's most popular attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Neander-Troll says :Be sure to recommend and follow Chucks " Life of Earth " Blog at:
https://disqus.com/home/forum/lifeofearth/
No comments:
Post a Comment