A still life fresco depicting a possible ancestor of the typical Italian pizza has been found on the wall of a house in Pompeii, the ancient Roman city destroyed by an eruption of the Mount Vesuvius volcano 2,000 years ago, the Italian Ministry of Culture said on Tuesday. fair (27).
It is not possible that it is a representation of a pizza, although Pompeii is close to Naples, the home of pizza, as 2,000 years ago the most characteristic ingredients of the Unesco heritage dish, such as tomatoes and mozzarella, were unknown.
Archaeologists at the Archaeological Park of Pompei assume that, next to a glass of wine, a portion of flat bread is represented as a support for various fruits with spices and a kind of “pesto” sauce, the ministry said in a statement.
This type of image, known by the ancient name of “xenia”, was inspired by the welcome gifts offered to guests.
The fresco was found in the atrium of a house with an attached bakery, where research was resumed last January after partial excavations at the end of the 19th century.
Pompeii, 23 km southeast of Naples, was home to around 13,000 people when it was buried under ash, rock and dust, while withstanding the force of an eruption in AD 79 equivalent to many atomic bombs.
The site of Pompeii, not discovered until the 16th century, has seen a recent burst of archaeological activity aimed at halting years of decay and neglect, thanks in large part to a recently completed €105 million project funded by the European Union.
Source: CNN Brasil
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