Pompeii’s secrets that are only just being uncovered

Pompeii unearthed

Ever since archaeologists first discovered the ruins of Pompeii – the ancient Roman city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 – its stories and secrets have captivated locals, tourists and archaeologists alike. From the food that citizens ate and the gods they worshipped to the ways they responded to the catastrophe, the site is still giving up remarkable revelations every year.

Read through this gallery to uncover the most surprising discoveries made at Pompeii in recent times…

The story so far…

First – a quick summary. In AD 79, one of the deadliest volcanic events in European history occurred when Mount Vesuvius erupted. The nearby Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried beneath a thick layer of volcanic material – where they remained for nearly 1,700 years. The ash and debris preserved the towns for posterity, creating one of the world’s most precious archaeological sites.

The story so far…

Excavations began in both towns in the 18th century: in Herculaneum in 1738 and in Pompeii in 1748. Archaeology as a discipline was still finding its feet at this time, and early excavations were unfortunately documented poorly or not at all. In 1860, pioneering Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli took over the site, and developed the then-revolutionary method of using plaster to fill gaps in the ash left by long-decayed organic matter. This allowed him to create true-to-life casts of what had once been human victims of the eruption.

The story so far…

These casts have since become symbols of Pompeii – heart-breaking freeze frames of families cowering in their homes, beggars praying to the heavens and merchants fleeing laden with valuables. These representations can tell us an enormous amount not only about the eruption, but also about the Roman world more generally. Despite centuries of work, around a third of Pompeii remains underground even today, and sweeping excavation efforts are ongoing.

Pompeii’s residents were in pretty good health

It is often assumed that life in Roman times was nasty, brutish and short – and it certainly could be. Only half of children born in Pompeii could expect to make it past the age of 10, but analysis of skeletons belonging to middle-aged and older residents has suggested that, if citizens did make it to adulthood, they were likely to lead long and healthy lives. This longevity may have owed much to the food that they ate, and details of the standard local diet have come out in recent decades.

Pompeii’s residents were in pretty good health

In 2011, archaeologists unearthed a 282-foot-long (86m) sewer in Herculaneum that contained a staggering quantity of ancient human excrement, enough to fill 750 sacks. Archaeologists have since pored over the refuse, along with inedible remains like fish bones, pig bones and egg shells that were often discarded down latrines. The ancient residents’ trash has become our treasure, and expert analysis has revealed a diet rich in local seafood, pork, eggs, seeds and a wide array of vegetables.

Residents wrote political graffiti

While today’s activists tend to put their cases on social media, the politically-engaged people of Pompeii often supported their chosen candidates by writing on the walls. A 2013 analysis described how the walls of the wealthy were particularly sought after, and that homeowners may have had some control over what slogans adorned their dwellings. One such statement uncovered in the Regio V area reads: “Please elect Helvius Sabinus aedile, worthy of office and a good man.”

Residents wrote political graffiti

It is thought that local politicians often commissioned these writings to drum up support – or to criticise and abuse political opponents. Indeed, Roman graffiti was often extremely rude, and there was a lot of it; in Pompeii alone more than 11,000 examples survive. One pithy epigram reads: “I’m amazed, oh wall, that you have not fallen to ruin, you who support the tediousness of so many writers”.

They had some surprising diseases

Recent evidence shows that some members of the population may have suffered with the sexually transmitted disease syphilis. Analysis of skeletons found in the 1980s included a pair of twins who showed signs of congenital syphilis – evidenced by marks left on the enamel of their teeth. The discovery flipped previous assumptions about the disease, which was thought to have arrived in Europe with Christopher Columbus on his voyages to the New World in the 15th century.

They had some surprising diseases

Anthropologists have argued that the fact that these twins survived as long as they did is also testament to the bonds of Roman families, as they would have needed near-constant nursing and attention. Chronic arthritis was also widespread in Pompeii – found in 35% of the joints that have been studied – while osteoporosis has also been observed.

We might have been getting the date wrong for years

For many years, Vesuvius was thought to have erupted on 24 August, AD 79. We owe that date to contemporary letters written by Pliny the Younger – long a key source for information about the eruption. However, in 2018 archaeologists uncovered an inscription that may prove otherwise. The charcoal writing spells out the latin XVI K NOV, meaning ‘the 16th day before 1 November’ – in other words, mid-October, almost two months after the eruption’s supposed date.

We might have been getting the date wrong for years

Pliny the Younger was a lawyer and author who witnessed the eruption first-hand from across the bay, and wrote that he “faithfully related…what I was either an eye-witness to myself or received immediately after the accident”. An excerpt from his writings is shown here. But since the newfound inscription was written in charcoal – not a long-lasting material when open to the elements – some experts have now proposed 24 October as a revised date for the disaster.

People reacted to the eruption in surprising ways

It’s hard to imagine what you might do if a Pompeii-esque disaster were to strike – particularly if you had never heard the word ‘volcano’ and had no idea what an eruption could do. And yet, despite what you might think, the instinct for many of Pompeii and Herculaneum’s residents wasn’t to run away. Rather, the location and position of many of the recovered skeletons suggests that the prevailing instinct for many was to stay at home with their families. This sheds an intriguing light on human responses to panic.

People reacted to the eruption in surprising ways

The fact that victims were closely grouped together has also intrigued archaeologists, and provided useful clues about Roman family structures. For instance, in one room of 13 people, at least six were found to be closely biologically related. Other, larger groups suggest that families often lived in extended and multi-generational networks.

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Pompeii is a treasure trove of ancient art

In a 2018 excavation, archaeologists uncovered an impressive household shrine filled with paintings of plants, snakes and a peacock. Commonly known as larariums, shrines like this were a typical feature of many Roman homes, and were places to leave offerings and pray to the gods. Though household shrines were common, few were as grand as this one; located in its own chamber with elaborate decoration and a raised pool, its proprietors were clearly very wealthy.

Pompeii is a treasure trove of ancient art

Artwork has always made up a large fraction of Pompeii’s riches, as the city’s unique circumstances have preserved paintings and mosaics that might long have faded elsewhere. Luxurious villas bear vivid scenes from mythological stories and from daily Roman life, while notoriously explicit erotic frescoes have been found adorning the walls of ancient brothels and bathhouses. Pictured here is one of Pompeii’s best-known artistic treasures – a portrait of the baker Terentius Neo and his wife.

Deaths were gruesome, but mercifully quick

The details of exactly how the citizens of Pompeii and Herculaneum met their ends are not for the faint of heart. A 2018 study which analysed skeletons preserved in molten rock points to “the rapid vaporisation of body fluids and soft tissues of people at death due to exposure to extreme heat”. In other words, their blood boiled and their muscles, brain and flesh turned to ash. The study even acknowledges the possibility of, and we quote, “skull explosion”.

Deaths were gruesome, but mercifully quick

Though unpleasant to read about, these deaths would at least have been mercifully quick. Herculaneum was closer to Vesuvius than Pompeii, and its residents were subject to hotter temperatures of up to 482°C (900°F), which would have turned them to ash in an instant. In Pompeii, other death methods included being crushed by a hail of volcanic rocks and being asphyxiated by clouds of volcanic ash.

Animals died along with their owners

Just as humans perished in Pompeii’s flames, so too did animals. In 2018, the ancient remains of a horse were found in Pompeii’s Villa of the Mysteries, with its bones remarkably intact and remnants of a saddle still attached. It was found in a villa belonging to a Roman general or other high-ranking member of the military, and experts say it was large for its time – a special breed that would have been worth a hefty sum.

Animals died along with their owners

Very few animals have been successfully cast at Pompeii, and the horse joins a wild boar and a dog (pictured) in getting the same plaster treatment as human victims. This dog was chained to a post in the atrium of a home owned by Marcus Vesonius Primus, which unfortunately left it unable to flee when the eruption began. Almost certainly a guard dog, the twisted body surely shows that it was struggling to break free, and suffocation was the probable cause of death.

Pizza may have been born in Pompeii

In 2023, Pompeii hit the headlines thanks to the discovery of the world’s earliest ‘pizza’ – depicted in a fresco unearthed in the central Regio IX. The fresco, archaeologists were quick to point out, actually showed a “possible ancestor” of the modern pizza, as it was crucially devoid of both tomato and mozzarella. Naples is considered the traditional birthplace of pizza, and Pompeii is just a 30-minute drive away.

Pizza may have been born in Pompeii

In the perfectly-preserved fresco, a raised circular crust – possibly focaccia – is topped by a variety of fruits, including a pomegranate, a date and an object that looks suspiciously like a pineapple. Clearly put together for fairly well-off diners, it stands on a silver tray accompanied by a goblet of wine and garlands taken from an arbutus tree. Currently, archaeologists’ best guess is that the ensemble was offered to guests in accordance with an ancient Greek tradition.

Slave quarters were extremely basic

Ancient Rome was a slave society, and estimates suggest that enslaved people made up as much as a third of the population at any given time. Under Roman law, slaves could be killed by their masters without rebuke, while whipping and branding were common punishments. In 2023, a bedroom once used by slaves was uncovered in the villa of Civita Giuliana, around 2,000 feet (600m) north of Pompeii’s city walls, and it provided a rare insight into a class of people usually excluded from the historical record.

Slave quarters were extremely basic

The room contained two basic beds, a few pieces of wooden furniture, amphorae and tools. One bed would have been substantially more comfortable than the other, suggesting a hierarchy within the servants’ quarters. Traces of red are still detectable on some of the wall panels while two small cupboards sit against the wall – rendered today as plaster casts. Unsurprisingly, the room was filthy, and the remains of rats and mice were found in the amphorae under one of the beds.

2025 brings enormous new finds

In early 2025, archaeologists made one of Pompeii’s most exciting discoveries for decades – an entire block of the city, complete with a laundry, a bakery, a large private home and a sprawling bath complex. Described by experts as a “once-in-a-century” find, it’s thought that the whole site was owned by one individual, perhaps powerful local politician Aulus Rustius Verus. The bath complex and private residence were connected, so the owner must have been in the very highest wealth class.

2025 brings enormous new finds

The bath complex has prompted particular excitement, and with its hot, warm and cold rooms, plunge pool and wall-upon-wall of artwork, it could be the largest ever found in Pompeii. Two skeletons were found in the baths: those of a man (probably a slave) and a high-status woman who had barricaded themselves into a side room. Excavations remain ongoing, and, with so much of the city still submerged, who knows what other classical curiosities could still lurk beneath Pompeii’s suburban streets.

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