Weird Oddities Found At Pompeii

Excavations in downtown Pompeii showed citizens ate in restaurants, revealing some things.Unexpected cuisine appeared.Food like fish, olives, chicken, and eggs was found in the region. People also found more strange food choices. Archeologists found a giraffe leg joint among the ruins.

This was the only giraffe bone found in Roman Italy. Researchers think the giraffe meat came from long-distance trade. Besides the giraffe bone, they also found signs of other exotic foods popular in Pompeii: archaeologists dug up remains of non-native shellfish and sea urchins.

Ancient Rome saw sexual relationships between masters and slaves.Evidence of this relationship appeared.Researchers uncovered a gold band in Pompeii. The band had the words “Dominus ancillae suae,” which means “From the master to the slave.” A master likely gave this gift to show appreciation for an intimate slave/master bond.

When a bakery was dug up in Pompeii, 81 loaves ofCarbonized bread appears in the list 'Weird Oddities Found At Pompeii'.were found. Seeing food kept for nearly 2,000 years is strange. It reminds us Mount Vesuvius erupted on an otherwise calm day. Bread sat in the bakery, ready to be bought and eaten, until disaster hit.

Massimo Ossana, the superintendent, shared the finding of about 150 snack bars, or thermopolia, in Regio V—a 54-acre dig. Impoverished families reportedly used these bars. They served "coarse bread with salty fish, baked cheese, lentils, and spicy wine," according to The Guardian.The Guardian reported on the snack bars.Dozens of snack bars appear in the list 'Weird Oddities Found At Pompeii'.

Objects from Pompeii are eerie. Despite being over 3,000 years old, many look like modern items.These objects look like modern creations.Quintus Poppeus, Nero's wealthy nephew, owned the home. The most notable item was a statue of Apollo stroking a griffin. Visitors claim the statue looks new.

Guard dogs became popular after dogs were first tamed. Archeologists found mosaics with pictures of guard dogs.Mosaics showed pictures of guard dogs.Guard dogs lived near homes of many Pompeii citizens. Signs read “Cave Canem,” which means “Beware of Dog.”

Graffiti from Pompeii is haunting because it shows the humanity of those who perished.Graffiti reminds us of the people lost.Though centuries old, Pompeii graffiti resembles modern graffiti. Etched into the walls were political messages, insults, love notes, and ads.

One piece of graffiti in Pompeii reads, “Gaius Pumidius Diphilus was here,” with a date stamp showing October 3rd, 78 B.C. Today, many people still write similar messages on buildings. This shows that wanting to mark your existence is a basic human trait.

Archeologists found a human skull in the ruins of a home.They uncovered a skull.Researchers think the skull belongs to an enemy soldier murdered in Pompeii, or perhaps an ancestor's skull displayed out of respect, despite the Mount Vesuvius eruption.

In February 2021, the archaeological park announced something.The Archaeological Park of Pompeii announced something.Researchers discovered a four-wheeled ceremonial chariot made of iron, wood, rope, and decorations including bronze and tin. They found it in a portico facing a stable during work at the villa Civita Giuliana, north of Pompeii's city walls.

Massimo Osanna, director of the Archaeological Park, stated this chariot, never seen in Italy, served community festivities, parades, and processions. Medallions featuring satyrs and nymphs suggest the vehicle aided marriage ceremonies.

University of Massachusetts Amherst professor Eric Poehler called this a Lamborghini, an outright fancy car.Eric Poehler told NPR..

The House of Golden Bracelets was a three-story home. Bodies of a family of four were found huddled under the staircase.Objects found scattered around the family are almost as haunting as the bodies.Among the coins and jewelry, one bracelet shaped like a two-headed snake stood out. Snakes symbolized good luck in ancient Italy. The family might have taken this bracelet hoping for protection while seeking cover.

A Redditor shared a plaster cast of wooden window shutters in May 2020. These shutters were buried during the Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD. The cast is located at the Villa Oplontis.The shutters are at the Villa Oplontis.The aristocratic home was richly decorated. It might have belonged to Roman Emperor Nero's second wife, Poppaea.

Citizens grabbed what they could when the explosion happened.Citizens grabbed what they could as they fled for their lives.A man's body in an alleyway held a sack with jewelry, coins, and his home's keys. It is unclear why the man took the keys, since he must have known the lava would destroy his home.

The items found on bodies in Pompeii are often as sad as the preserved corpses themselves.Over 100 victims were found preserved near the city center after the volcanic eruption. One body was clutching a medical kit.Medical kits are often as sad as the preserved corpses. Over 100 victims were found near the city center after the eruption. One body was...Archeologists found a cremation urn buried in a Pompeii cemetery.The urn is a glass urn buried in a Pompeii cemetery.

Archeologists found a...A glass urn was buried in a Pompeii cemetery.A terra cotta casing protected the urn. Inside, there were ashes, bones, and a bronze coin. Pompeii citizens thought bronze coins paid for transporting the dead to the underworld.

Fleeing Pompeii, many citizens grabbed valuable items. Near the city gates, a woman's body was found holding a...The object was a gold-and-silver statue of the god Mercury.Mercury was the god of safe passage. The woman may have grabbed the statue while leaving the city, hoping the charm would guide her out safely.

Statues in the city showed cultural icons respected in ancient Rome. One statue survived the Pompeii disaster.The statue survived the Pompeii disaster.Archaeologists found a bronze statue of Alexander the Great. The statue was mostly intact, but it lacked the sphere Alexander once held.

Pompeii had an amphitheater for blood sports. Warriors fought bloody battles ending in execution. Losers lost their armor before death. Archaeologists found...They found helmets, armor, and weaponry from fallen gladiators.These items were in the barracks of the amphitheater.

Archeologists uncovered an...They found a collection of ornate objects.These items made of faïence, bronze, bone, amber, glass, and gems survived under volcanic material. They were in a room called the House of the Garden in the Regio V. The wooden box decayed; only its bronze hinges remained.

The ornaments, likely belonging to one or more females, served for protection or vanity. These items are decorative. Excavation director Massimo Osanna states they represent "micro-stories, biographies of the city's inhabitants who tried to escape the eruption." Researchers hope to find a DNA test that might link the gems to descendants of the victims.