Archaeologists recently made an extraordinary discovery of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop in Pompeii, the historical city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. Discovered in the archaeological park’s Regio V site, the frescoed hot food and drinks shop served up as the ancient equivalent of street food to Romans, reported AFP.
Known as a Thermopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, the site also contained some traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food which were found in some of the deep terra cotta jars containing hot food. The shopkeepers lowered these jars containing hot food into a counter with circular holes.
“This is an extraordinary find. It’s the first time we are excavating an entire thermopolium,” said Massimo Ossana, director of the Pompeii archaeological park as per the report.
Decorated with brightly coloured frescoes, the front of these counters depicting animals that were part of the ingredients in the food sold, including chicken and ducks.
“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 who added that 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”.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular travellers destinations in Italy, the ruins of Pompeii were not discovered until the 16th century and organised excavations began about 1750.
