A supposed fast-food restaurant in Pompeii has been completely discovered, helping to reveal dishes that might have been popular with the citizens of the ancient Roman city.
Massimo Osanna, the longtime chief of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, said on Saturday that while about 80 of these fast-food restaurants were found at the site of the massive volcanic explosion, it is the first thermopoly to be completely unearthed.
An undated photo provided by the press office of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii shows the thermopoly in the archaeological park of Pompeii, near Naples, Italy. (Luigi Spina / Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP)
A segment of a balcony was partially unearthed in 2019 while working to shore up Pompeii’s often-destroyed ruins.
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Since then, archaeologists have revealed a multi-sided counter, with large holes inserted into its top, which supposedly contained deep containers for hot food. The balcony displays the image of an underwater nymph riding a horse. Images of two upside-down wild ducks and a rooster also lit up the restaurant and probably served to advertise the menu.
Valeria Amoretti, an anthropologist on the Pompeii team, said in a statement that initial analyzes show how the painted images can represent the food and beverages sold inside.
An undated photo provided by the press office of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii shows the thermopoly in the archaeological park of Pompeii, near Naples, Italy. (Luigi Spina / Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP)
She noted that fragments of duck bones were found in one of the containers, along with remains of goats, pigs, fish and snails.
“We know what they ate that day,” said Osanna.
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Amoretti said a surprise discovery was the complete skeleton of “an extremely small example” of an adult dog, whose height at shoulder height was about 20 to 25 centimeters. She said that it is rare to find traces of ancient times of dogs so small and that such discoveries “attest to selective breeding in Roman times to obtain this result”.
An undated photo provided by the press office of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii shows the thermopoly in the archaeological park of Pompeii, near Naples, Italy. (Luigi Spina / Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP)
A bronze shell, nine amphorae, which were popular food containers in Roman times, a pair of bottles and a ceramic oil container, were also unearthed.
Pompeii was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which is close to present-day Naples. Much of the old city has not yet been excavated. The place is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy.
An undated photo provided by the press office of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii shows the thermopoly in the archaeological park of Pompeii, near Naples, Italy. (Luigi Spina / Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP)
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Human remains were also found in the excavation of the restaurant.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.