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Recent archaeological discoveries led to an accurate reconstruction of the menu which first-century Romans enjoyed at the Thermopolium of Regio V, one of ancient Pompeii’s snack bars, as seen on Friday.
Inside some jars found behind the counter, archaeologists found bones belonging to various animals which included some unusual combinations mixed together within the same dish.
“The first of the two showed the coexistence of pork and fish, while another showed the presence of a much richer preparation where the remains of pig, fish, goat or sheep – it’s impossible to distinguish them- land snail and a bird, specifically duck, were found inside,” said Chiara Corbino, an archaeozoologist at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.
Wine was also a staple on the menu. Archaeologists uncovered an unusual Roman tip to improve the quality of the wine when it was not of high quality.
“One of our findings came from a dolium [ancient Roman vase] used to contain wine, where we found these small ground fava beans. Legume flour, according to ancient authors, was used to change both colour and flavour of wine when it was of low quality,” explained Valeria Moretti, head of the applied research laboratory at Pompeii Archaeological Park.
The thermopolium’s counter features decorative images of a Nereid riding a sea-horse, a scene of the snack bar itself, two mallard ducks upside down, a rooster, and a dog on a leash.
The skeleton of a small sized dog and at least two people were also found around the thermopolium.
Archaeologists are continuing to work around the snack bar’s counter with the hope of unearthing precious pieces of mosaic floor and remains.
*SOUNDBITES*
SOT, Chiara Corbino, Archaeozoologist of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (Italian): “The findings that I dealt with specifically are osteological findings of animals. So we are talking about animal bones and teeth. I deal with the determination of these remains, and at the Thermopolium, I have identified inside the small jars which were above the counter, remains belonging to different classes of animals. Sometimes even mixed probably in the same dish.”
SOT, Chiara Corbino, Archaeozoologist of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (Italian): “Specifically, I am referring to two types. The first of the two showed the coexistence of pork and fish, while another showed the presence of a much richer preparation where the remains of pig, fish, goat or sheep – it’s impossible to distinguish them- land snail and a bird, specifically duck, were found inside.”
SOT, Valeria Moretti, Head of Applied Research Laboratory at Pompeii Archaeological Park (Italian): “One of our findings came from a dolium [ancient Roman vase] used to contain wine, where we found these small ground fava beans. Legume flour, according to ancient authors, was used to change both colour and flavour of wine when it was of low quality.”
SOT, Valeria Moretti, Head of applied research laboratory, Pompeii Archaeological Park (Italian): “The chemical analyses confirmed that wine was contained in that dolium, the one containing ground fava beans.”
SOT, Chiara Corbino, Archaeozoologist at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (Italian): “Also, within the Thermopolium, its space not used for food sales, but between the two access doors, in a corner, the skeleton of a dog was found.”
SOT, Chiara Corbino, Archaeozoologist at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (Italian): “This dog was a very small dog. We do not know if it was owned by the Thermopolium owners or by those who worked in the Thermopolium. It is a dog, whose study was recently concluded, which measured between 21 and 22 centimetres at the withers. So we are talking about a very small and highly selected individual.”
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