Archaeologists in Pompeii said Tuesday they had found depicted on an
ancient fresco the precursor to the modern-day pizza -- but without the
cheese and tomatoes.
The 2,000-year-old painting -- discovered in
the middle of a half-crumbled wall during recent digs at the sprawling
archaeological site -- depicts a silver platter holding a round
flatbread, alongside fresh and dried fruits such as pomegranates and
dates and a goblet filled with red wine.
"What was depicted on the
wall of an ancient Pompeian house could be a distant ancestor of the
modern dish," said experts at the archaeological park in a statement.
The
devastating volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 buried the
Roman city in thick ash, hiding from view its many treasures that
archaeologists continue to slowly bring to light.
The fresco is
believed to refer to the "hospitable gifts" offered to guests, following
a Greek tradition dating to the 3rd to 1st centuries BC and described
by imperial Roman-era writers including Virgil and Philostratus.
Pompeii's
director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said the newly uncovered fresco shows
the contrast between "a frugal and simple meal, which refers to a sphere
between the bucolic and the sacred... and the luxury of silver trays
and the refinement of artistic and literary representations.".
"How can we fail to think, in this regard, of pizza, also born as a
'poor' dish in southern Italy, which has now conquered the world and is
also served in starred restaurants," Zuchtriegel added.
The new
excavations revealed an atrium of a house that included an annex with a
bakery, partially explored in the late 19th century.
"In the
working areas near the oven, the skeletons of three victims have been
found in the past weeks," said experts at the park.
Archaeologists
estimate that 15 to 20 percent of Pompeii's population died in the
eruption, mostly from thermal shock as a giant cloud of gases and ash
covered the city.
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