How did the enslaved workers of Pompeii live? A new discovery provides a rare glimpse

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A view of the latest finding in Pompeii, Italy. Archeologists, excavating a villa amid the ruins of the 79 A.D. volcanic eruption, have discovered a room that served as both a dormitory and storage area.

Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP

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Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP

Europe
What’s On The Menu In Ancient Pompeii? Duck, Goat, Snail, Researchers Say

The room grants us a rare insight into the daily reality of slaves, thanks to the state of preservation of the room and the possibility of creating plaster casts of beds and objects in perishable materials which have left their imprint in the cinerite that covered the structures. pic.twitter.com/Ao9LFxvyc6

— Pompeii Sites (@pompeii_sites) November 6, 2021

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the site, says this find gives much needed — and largely unknown — context for how the city’s rich depended on the labor of others to prosper. «This is a window into the precarious reality of people who seldom appear in historical sources that were written almost exclusively by men belonging to the elite, and who as a result risk remaining invisible in the great historical accounts,» he said in a statement.

History
A ‘Lamborghini’ Of Chariots Is Discovered At Pompeii. Archaeologists Are Wowed

The room is thought to have lodged three workers at the villa who would have carried out everyday work, including maintaining and preparing that impressive chariot found earlier this year. Three beds line the walls — including one smaller than the other two, thought to have perhaps belonged to a child — made from wooden planks and then webbed with ropes. A wooden trunk rests nearby, filled with metal and fabric that appear to be parts of the chariot’s horse harnesses. Tall ceramic jugs are crammed into the corners of the room, suggesting it was also used for storage as well as housing. One small upper window provided light.

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A view of the latest finding in Pompeii, Italy. Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, said the find was «an important discovery that enriches the knowledge of the daily life of ancient Pompeiians, in particular the level of society still little known.»

Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP

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Parco Archeologico di Pompei via AP

The Two-Way
New Excavation At Pompeii Uncovers Victim Crushed By Massive Rock

The Italian Ministry of Culture tweeted a video showcasing the room.

A @pompeii_sites nuova eccezionale scoperta, il ministro @dariofrance: «Pompei modello di studio unico al mondo. Trovata la stanza degli schiavi in eccellente stato di conservazione, nuova luce sulla vita quotidiana dei romani». https://t.co/LbAidtiTho #MiC #Pompei #Pompeii pic.twitter.com/hsHhe2aN95

— Ministero della Cultura (@MiC_Italia) November 6, 2021

«Our knowledge of the daily life of ancient Pompeiians has been enriched,» said Dario Franceschini, Italy’s minister of culture, «particularly of that element of society about which little is known even today.»