A round flatbread with a topping: Archaeologists have discovered a mural in the remains of a house in Pompeii that seems to depict a characteristic-looking dish. The ingredients typical of today's pizza are missing, but one could at least interpret what is depicted as an ancient predecessor version of the prominent dish, say the experts at the Pompeii Archaeological Park.
It was a terrible catastrophe for the inhabitants of the ancient city, but for archaeologists the devastating eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD turned into a stroke of luck: Like in a kind of time capsule, the volcanic ash preserved many structures in Pompeii. Large parts of the city have already been uncovered, but entire settlement areas are still slumbering in the rubble, which are now being excavated piece by piece by the experts at the Pompeii Archaeological Park. Among the discoveries are frescoes that once adorned the walls of the town's houses or shops.
Decoration of a house connected to a bakery
The special specimen that the archaeologists are now reporting on was found during the current excavations in Insula 10 in Regio IX. Interestingly, this building was connected to a bakery, which was already partially explored between 1888 and 1891. Now the excavation team freed further parts of the complex from the pumice stone and the volcanic ash layer. They also discovered the skeletons of three victims of the disaster. The fresco was then revealed on one of the walls surrounding the center of the living area - the so-called atrium.
In itself, the type of representation is nothing unusual, say the experts. These still life frescos were therefore symbols of hospitality: the illustrations showed food gifts that were offered to visitors based on a Greek tradition. It is also known that in ancient times people ate flatbread. However, the newly discovered fresco shows a particularly striking version.
A dish that seems familiar
On the silver tray shown, many viewers will spontaneously identify a pizza next to the elegant wine cup, fruit and a flower decoration. As the experts explain, it is actually a flatbread with a thick crust, which, however, apparently has a fruity topping: it is probably pomegranate and dates. In addition, spices and perhaps some kind of pesto seem to have been represented by yellow and ocher dots as part of the flatbread topping.
The archaeologists say that the sweet flatbread cannot be described as a real pizza. Because the key ingredients are missing, namely mozzarella and tomatoes. The latter can definitely not have been part of the topping, because the vegetables that characterize the Mediterranean cuisine so strongly today only came to Europe after the discovery of America. Nevertheless, the dish shown could be an ancient predecessor version of the modern dish, which was even declared a World Heritage Site in 2017 as the "traditional art of the Neapolitan pizza maker", according to the statement from the Pompeii Archaeological Park.
Source: Archaeological Park Pompeii