The 16-square-meter room was part of the Civita Giuliana, a wealthy citizen’s villa that likely served as a bedroom for three people, possibly one child.
“Discovery is a window into the reality of people rarely mentioned in historical sources,” said Gabriel Zuchtrigel, director general of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, in a statement. “It helps us to discover a part of the ancient world about which we would not know much otherwise, but which, nevertheless, is extremely important.
Modest room
Three bunks with a timber frame and a lace mattress were found in the room. Two of them are approximately 1.7 m in size, one is 1.4 m – on this basis, scientists suspect that two adults and a child lived in the cell. A pot, remains of metal objects and scraps of material were also found at the site. The inhabitants kept their modest property in a chest and under beds. Eight ceramic amphorae were also found there, most likely used to store the belongings of the owners of the villas. The only light source was a small window. Archaeologists have not found any traces of wall decorations.
A ceremonial chariot and the remains of three horses were found near the cave. The remains of a harness were found among the objects in the slaves’ room, suggesting that they were probably responsible for the stable.
Cities destroyed by a volcano
The unusual find was possible thanks to the tragedy that befell Pompey in the 1st century AD. The eruption of Vesuvius, which also exterminated the cities of Herculaneum and Staba, took place on August 24, 79. The cities were completely covered with a layer of ash, sometimes up to 7 meters thick. Archaeologists began to discover the city flooded by Vesuvius on April 6, 1748.