Ancient treasures discovered in sealed Pompeii wardrobe

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 15:40 · Archive

Archaeologists have uncovered coins, jewellery, cosmetics and other artefacts in a wooden wardrobe sealed in Pompeii since Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.

A wooden wardrobe sealed for nearly 2,000 years in a Pompeii home has yielded coins, jewellery, cosmetics and other personal artefacts. The cabinet, discovered in a room of a home on Via dell'Abbondanza, one of the busiest streets in the ancient Roman city, contained 38 bronze coins, tweezers, a small glass perfume bottle, an incense burner and a bronze lantern.

The most distinctive find was a child's necklace known as a crepundia, decorated with more than 20 small charms crafted from various materials including bone and crystal, and representing several deities including the gods Bes and Mercury. These necklaces were traditionally worn by children and their rattling charms helped parents keep track of their children and could aid identification. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological park, noted that such necklaces served as reminders of parents who often lived far away, reflecting the high mobility of Roman society where many people moved around the Mediterranean.

The wardrobe also held a wooden box with lead weights, suggesting someone in the home was a tradesperson. The presence of coins and personal objects left behind indicates the owners likely had to flee the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79 at short notice, Zuchtriegel said. The house had been previously excavated in 1912, but investigation of the surrounding areas is only now underway.

How it is being reported

• Perfume bottle and child’s necklace among treasures found in Pompeii wardrobeArchaeologists uncover jewellery, cosmetics and coins in cabinet sealed since eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79 Fragments of personal objects, from makeup tools and a perfume bottle to coins and a child’s necklace, have been found tucked away in a wooden wardrobe sealed off for almost 2,000 years in the ruins of Pompeii. The artifacts provide an intimate glimpse of daily life in the ancient Roman city before it was devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. The wardrobe was discovered in a room of a home on Via dell’Abbondanza, which was one of the most bustling streets in…The Guardian · 30 Oct, 15:06
• Items found in Pompeii home hint at life before volcanic explosionCoins, jewelry and other artifacts were found in a sealed closet in Pompeii, giving new insight into life in the historic Roman city before it was destroyed in A.D. 79.CBS News · 29 Oct, 16:59

In this story: Pompeii · Mount Vesuvius · Via dell'Abbondanza · Gabriel Zuchtriegel · Pompeii Archaeological Park

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log