Reference News Network said on December 28** that on the 26th, the ruins of Pompeii announced the discovery of a street fast food restaurant (thermopolium) in ancient Rome. The interior of the store is decorated with colorful patterns and is in excellent condition.
According to Agence France-Presse Rome on December 26, part of the shop was partially excavated in 2019, but the excavation was extended in order to preserve the integrity of the site as much as possible. The site is located near the intersection of Silver Wedding Street and Balcony Lane, and the amount is very large.
According to the report, a mural has been found in the store before, showing a sea nymph from Greek mythology riding a horse. The researchers also found a variety of brightly colored animal murals, especially chickens and mallards that should be served with wine or hot drinks.
In particular, the discoveries made by archaeologists digging up tables may provide us with valuable information about Pompeii's gastronomic habits during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
According to reports, archaeologists have found some clay pots. The clay pot contains duck bones, as well as scraps of pork, goat, fish, and snails. A variety of ingredients are cooked together, a bit like a Spanish risotto. In one jar, fava bean dregs were also found at the bottom of the jar, which was used to adjust the taste of the wine.
Massimo Osanna, director general of the archaeological site of Pompeii, happily noted in the communiqué: "In addition to witnessing the daily life of Pompeii, it is very likely that we will also analyze this fast-food restaurant, since this is the first time we have excavated a complete site." ”
Amphorae, a water tower and a fountain were also found near the site, as well as human remains, including the remains of a man in his 50s next to a child's bed, the report said.
In an interview with Ansa news agency, Osanna explained: "The fast-food restaurant seems to have been hastily closed and abandoned by the owners, but there may have been people who stayed, perhaps the oldest, who died in the first stage of the eruption due to the collapse of the top floor. ”
Another remain, Mr. Osana added, could have been a thief fishing in troubled waters or a hungry refugee, "with the lid of a pot in his hand and being stunned by the heat as soon as he lifted it."
According to the report, thermopolium (in Greek, thermos means hot, poleo means to sell) was very popular in Roman times, and there were 80 such shops in Pompeii alone.
Pompeii, buried in 79 AD by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, is the second most visited attraction in Italy, after the Colosseum. In 2019, the ancient city had a visitor flow of nearly 4 million people. So far, archaeologists have excavated only about a third of the site, an area of about 44 hectares near Naples.
Researchers have found a variety of brightly colored animal murals in fast-food restaurants excavated at the Pompeii site, particularly chickens and mallards that are supposed to be served with wine or hot drinks.