Insight into the world of life at the lower end of Roman society: archaeologists have discovered a room in a villa at the gates of Pompeii that apparently housed slaves. In addition to the remains of three beds and utensils, they found horse harness and a carriage axle. The residents may have been involved in the preparation of the ornate carriage, the remains of which were discovered in the immediate vicinity earlier this year.
The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD brought people a terrible catastrophe – but archeology had a treasure: like in a kind of time capsule, ancient structures of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and their surrounding areas were preserved in the volcanic ash. Excavations have long provided unique insights into life in the Roman Empire – and there is still something new to discover. An exciting site is currently the Villa Civita Giuliana. In the spring of 2021, archaeologists reported a spectacular discovery in the remains of this once luxurious property north of Pompeii: They had discovered an ornate ceremonial carriage that may have been prepared for a festival at the time of the volcanic eruption.
Sparse bedroom and storage room
The archaeologists are now reporting another find in the building complex in which the carriage was discovered. It doesn’t seem very glamorous – but that’s why it is particularly interesting. It’s an unadorned room about 16 square meters with a small window. The ash dust has also received traces of various objects in it. In some cases, the archaeologists were able to depict the structures of ephemeral objects made of fabric or wood by filling plaster of paris in the cavities found.
As they report, there were three roughly crafted wooden beds in the room, which apparently could be adjusted to different body sizes. Two of the beds were about 1.70 meters long, while the third was only 1.40 meters and could therefore have belonged to a child. The lying areas consisted of rope structures, the imprints of which can be seen and were placed over the fabric ceilings, which have also been preserved as cavities in the ash material. Based on the characteristics of the room and the findings, the experts assume that it was the sleeping place of slaves – a couple with a child may have been accommodated here.
Mirror of the experiences of ancient slaves
Archaeologists discovered various containers under the beds, including ceramic vessels that may have been used to store the residents’ personal belongings. The archaeologists also found a vessel that they interpret as a chamber pot. In addition, the chamber was apparently used as the property’s storage room, as can be seen from eight amphorae stored there. Other finds could also indicate that the slaves had other tasks to do with looking after the nearby horse stable and perhaps with the maintenance of the discovered carriage: On one of the beds was a part of the wagon, which archaeologists could also prove with a plaster cast. In addition, the archaeologists came across a wooden chest with metal and fabric objects that probably belonged to a horse harness.
“The current finds are references to the lives of people that hardly appear in the historical sources and therefore run the risk of remaining invisible in the great history books,” says Gabriel Zuchtriegel from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. “So it is a case in which archeology helps us discover a part of the ancient world that we otherwise know little about, but which is nevertheless extremely important. What is most impressive in this context is the crampedness and unfriendliness of this room, which was a mixture of bedroom and storage room, ”says Zuchtriegel. “There weren’t any treasures to be found here – but the treasure in this case is the reference to the experiences of the weakest members of ancient society,” says the archaeologist.