Archaeologists in Pompeii have unearthed a room that provides a “quite uncommon view into the daily life of slaves” in the ancient Roman city, according to Pompeii Archaeological Park.
A small dormitory and storage room with movable beds was discovered during the excavation of Civita Giuliana villa in the remains of the ancient volcanic eruption.
The villa, located on the outskirts of the city with a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea, is one of the most remarkable recent discoveries in Pompeii. It was discovered in 2017 and has been studied since.
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Dario Franceschini, Italy’s cultural minister, described the discovery as “an significant discovery that enriches understanding of the daily existence of ancient Pompeiians,” particularly the level of society about which “still little” is known.
The room was uncovered in a Pompeii suburb mansion, just a few meters from where archaeologists unearthed the remnants of a well-preserved ceremonial chariot earlier this year.
What happened when Mount Vesuvius erupted 2,000 years ago, erasing Pompeii and Herculaneum from the map? Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, burying Pompeii, Oplontis, and Stabiae under ashes and rock pieces, and burying Herculaneum under a mudflow. This disaster ended the cities' lives while also preserving them until their rediscovery by archaeologists approximately 1700 years later. Mount Vesuvius, on Italy's west coast, is the only active volcano in continental Europe and is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. When a 500°C pyroclastic hot surge slammed the southern Italian village, every single individual died instantly. Pyroclastic flows are a dense collection of hot gas and volcanic materials that move at tremendous speeds down the flank of an erupting volcano. They are more deadly than lava because they move quicker, reaching speeds of over 450mph (700 km/h) and temperatures of 1,000°C. Pliny the younger, an administrator and poet, stood back and watched the calamity unfold. In the 16th century, letters explaining what he saw were discovered. His text implies that the Pompeii residents were caught off guard by the eruption. He claimed that a column of smoke resembling an umbrella pine ascended from the volcano, turning the surrounding cities pitch black. People raced for their lives with torches, screamed, and grieved for several hours as ash and pumice rain rained. While the eruption lasted approximately 24 hours, the initial pyroclastic surges occurred at midnight, causing the volcano's column to collapse. At 124mph (199kph), an avalanche of hot ash, rock, and deadly gas raced down the edge of the volcano, burying people and remains of daily life. Hundreds of refugees, holding their jewels and money and cowering in the vaulted arcades near the seaside at Herculaneum, were slaughtered instantly. People left Pompeii or hid in their homes, and their remains were covered by surge blankets. The excavations at Pompeii, the region's industrial powerhouse, and Herculaneum, a modest seaside resort, have provided unequalled insight into Roman society. Archaeologists are constantly unearthing new relics from the ash-covered metropolis. Archaeologists discovered an alleyway of beautiful mansions in May, with balconies that were mostly intact and still in their original colors. Some of the balconies even possessed amphorae, which were conical-shaped terra cotta vases used to store wine and oil in ancient Rome. The find has been described as a "total novelty," and the Italian Culture Ministry aims to refurbish and open them to the public. Upper stores were rarely discovered among the remains of the ancient town, which was destroyed by an eruption of Vesuvius volcano and buried beneath up to six meters of ash and volcanic rubble. Approximately 30,000 individuals are thought to have died in the mayhem, with bodies being unearthed to this day.
The room, which has only one high window and no wall decorations, retains the remains of three wooden beds.
The beds are made of multiple rough-hewn hardwood planks that may be modified to fit the height of whoever uses them. While two of them are approximately 1.7 meters long, one bed is only 1.4 meters long and may have belonged to a young man or child.
The adjustable beds could indicate that a family with a child had lived there.
A wooden trunk beside the beds included metallic objects and textiles that ‘appear to be part of horse harnesses,’ according to the archaeological park. There was also a chariot steering element made of wood.
Under the beds were chamber pots and other personal items, while eight amphorae, an ancient vessel used as a storage jar, were in a corner, implying storage for the household.
Approximately 30,000 individuals are thought to have died in the turmoil, and bodies are still being unearthed to this day. Archaeologists have also discovered in Pompeii plaster casts of victims still in situ; many casts are in the Archaeological Museum of Naples, a plaster cast of a dog from Pompeii’s House of Orpheus, circa AD 79, and cast of a horse.
