After almost 2,000 years of being buried under volcanic ash, archaeologists have unearthed a street-food stall in Pompeii, Italy. The stall is believed to have served hot and cold food to passers-by right up to the very moment the town was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 AD.
The front of the store had a brightly coloured fresco and traces of food have been found within jars, some of which sat below the counter and likely stored hot-food to be eaten on-the-go. Among the traces of food found in the jars were the remains of fish, snails, pigs and cows.
The fresco frontage of the store has images of chicken and ducks indicating that these types of meat were also sold directly from the stall. These types of stores, which also sold drinks, were known in ancient Italy as 'termopolium', which is Greek-Latin for a place that sells hot food and drinks.
Massimo Ossana, director of the Pompeii archaeological park, told reporters:
"This is an extraordinary find. It's the first time we are excavating an entire termopolium."
Valeria Amoretti, an anthropologist working on the new discovery, added:
"Our preliminary analyses shows that the figures drawn on the front of the counter, represent, at least in part, the food and drink that were sold there."
Despite being buried by volcanic ash and debris in the year 79 AD, the actual remains of Pompeii were not discovered until the 16th century. Only a couple of hundred years later did proper excavation work and research into the site begin. Since then, the site has provided a huge insight into the daily life of the Roman world. This is in large part because the volcanic ash acted as a preservative keeping many of the buildings, and even the bodies of the citizens, in good condition for almost 2,000 years.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried the town was one of the most devastating volcanic eruptions to ever hit Europe. The initial and, entirely unexpected explosion fired super-heated ash and volcanic debris 21 miles (33km) into the sky and had the thermal energy of 100,000 Hiroshima sized atomic-bombs. As many as 16,000 people were killed in the town of Pompeii and the neighbouring town of Herculaneum. Since excavation began at the site, 1,500 bodies have been found, many in their places of work and in their homes.
The area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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