In recent years, excavations in a suburb of ancient Pompeii have repeatedly uncovered exciting artifacts. Now archaeologists have discovered a richly decorated ceremonial carriage there for the first time – a find unique in Italy to date. The four-wheeled float was intended for one or two people and could have been used for wedding processions – the erotic nature of its decorations speaks for this.
The ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under ash, lava and glowing avalanches when Vesuvius erupted in 79. Protected under the meter-thick layers of this volcanic material, unique evidence of the ancient world has been preserved over the millennia. In addition to buildings with surprisingly well-preserved frescoes and the remains of many residents who were surprised when they flee, archaeologists in Pompeii have already recovered countless everyday objects from that time.
Four-wheeled carriage with rich decorations
In recent years, excavations in Pompeii have focused on the Civita Giuliana, a Roman villa with outbuildings that once stood in a northern suburb of the city. The researchers from the Pompeii Archaeological Park have now made a special find there: in the forecourt of the ancient stable building, they came across the remains of a carriage in the meter-thick layer of volcanic material. As if by a miracle, the four-wheeled vehicle with iron wheels had survived the collapse of the walls and the wooden roof of this stable yard unscathed. The fine volcanic material preserved both the substructure and the drawbar of the carriage, as well as the wooden structure.
After the archaeologists carefully removed the carriage from the surrounding volcanic material, numerous ornate decorations emerged. The side walls of the carriage consist of red and black painted wooden panels, which are covered with engraved bronze sheets. Pewter medallions are embedded in the bronze, showing winged cupids during various activities, as the archaeologists report. The back wall of the float is in three parts and also richly decorated. Among other things, she wears several bronze and pewter medallions with figural reliefs. They depict men and women in erotic positions. Scenes with satyrs and nymphs also adorn the medallions on the back wall of the coach.
Unique in all of Italy
“What we have here is a ceremonial carriage, probably the Pilentum mentioned in several sources. This was not intended for everyday use or for the transport of agricultural goods, but was used for celebrations, parades and processions, ”explains Massimo Osanna, Director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park. “This is an extraordinary discovery and a great advance in our knowledge of the ancient world. Because everyday transport vehicles were found in Pompeii before, but never anything like this carriage from the Civita Giuliana. “
The discovery of such a Roman festival float is unique in all of Italy. According to Osanna, the find is most comparable with floats that were discovered 15 years ago in Thracian burial mounds. But even these finds from northern Greece are not as richly decorated as the ceremonial carriage now unearthed in Pompeii. The position of the carriage in a courtyard belonging to the stable complex of the villa and the earlier discovery of a horse still equipped with a bridle in this stable could indicate that the carriage was still in use shortly before the volcanic eruption or that it was being prepared for a mission.
A carriage for ancient wedding processions?
In view of the erotic motifs on the ornamental medallions of the float, Osanna and his team suspect that this carriage may have been used for wedding processions: “If you take into account that, according to ancient sources, a Pilaism was used by priestesses and high-ranking ladies, then it could be that this was a carriage that was used for ceremonies related to weddings, ”speculates Osanna. “Possibly the bride went to her new household with it.”
The researchers hope to gain more information about this from further excavations in the villa, but also from more detailed investigations of the carriage. It was brought to the laboratory of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, where restorers remove the last buildup of volcanic material and document and restore the decorations. “Pompeii does not stop surprising us with its discoveries”, commented the Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini on the current find. “This is a discovery of great scientific importance.” It almost never happened, because tunnels of robbery graves lead directly past the carriage. It narrowly escaped looting.
(Video: Parco Archeologico di Pompei)
Source: Pompeii Sites – Parco Archeologico di Pompei