The largest excavation at Pompeii in a generation is uncovering nearly an entire city block, revealing remarkable discoveries that offer fresh insights into life and death beneath the looming presence of Vesuvius. Archaeologists Giuseppe Scarpati and Sophie Hay shared these groundbreaking findings with Matthew Symonds.
Unearthing Pompeii: A Glimpse into Life and Tragedy on the Via di Nola
A Building in Transition
In the heart of Pompeii’s Insula 10, Region 9, a building stood poised for transformation. Situated along the via di Nola—an important thoroughfare leading from one of the city gates towards the forum baths—this structure was a blend of residential and commercial space. Like many houses in Pompeii, it featured a narrow corridor that guided visitors from the bustling street into a central atrium, open to the sky and lined with rooms. Some of these spaces boasted elaborate frescoes, while others housed a thriving bakery. Under normal circumstances, the air would have been rich with the scent of fresh bread, mingling with the more pungent odors from a neighboring laundry.
Excavating Insula 10: New Insights into Roman Life
The details of this bakery-residence have emerged through meticulous excavation, shedding new light on daily life in Pompeii. This major dig, part of ongoing conservation efforts, offers an extraordinary window into Roman society—including an unprecedented look at a construction team in the midst of their work.
“Insula 10 lies between two other blocks that were exposed in the 18th and 19th centuries,” explains Sophie Hay, a research fellow at the University of London and a member of the Pompeii media team. “It’s the only street frontage on the via di Nola in Region 9 that was still buried. Because its neighboring areas have already been excavated, Insula 10 juts out like a tongue of land. This presents challenges when stabilizing the edges of the exposed site, as heavy rainfall increases the risk of collapse. To maintain structural integrity, the excavation became necessary—essentially ‘lopping off’ this unexcavated section to create a stable boundary.”
A Moment Frozen in Time: Tragedy in the Bakery
Reaching the Roman ground level posed a significant challenge, as archaeologists had to dig through layers of volcanic debris. In the northernmost of the bakery’s three rooms, they discovered the remains of three individuals—two women and a young boy, aged between four and seven.
“These victims perished very soon after the eruption began,” notes Giuseppe Scarpati, an archaeologist at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. “Their skeletons lay directly on the room’s floor, unlike many other Pompeii victims found at higher levels, who managed to survive the initial fallout before succumbing to later phases of the disaster. These three were crushed when a wall and ceiling collapsed upon them.”
Their presence in the building raises questions. The bakery had ceased operations for renovations, so why had these individuals remained? They may have been enslaved workers who were not relocated with the rest of the team and the donkeys that powered the mills. Alternatively, they could have been residents seeking shelter away from the open atrium, or even passersby who took refuge in the building during the eruption. If the latter, their escape would have been difficult—entry and exit to the bakery were restricted to a single doorway leading from the atrium, revealing much about the conditions under which the workers lived.
A Bakery or a Prison?
“This bakery had no commercial frontage for selling goods directly to the street,” says Hay. “Instead, movement was heavily restricted—so much so that we’ve called it a ‘prison bakery.’ Once the only connecting doorway to the atrium was locked, those inside were trapped with the mills and animals. A small internal window in the workers’ quarters faced into the house rather than the street, offering no route to freedom. Even that window had iron bars, underscoring the owner’s determination to keep the workforce confined.”
Ancient writers like Apuleius describe bakery labor as grueling, often assigned to criminals because of its harsh conditions. The combination of animal-powered mills, relentless physical exertion, and the intense heat of the oven made it one of the most punishing jobs in Rome. While modern bakeries evoke warmth and the comforting aroma of fresh bread, Roman bakeries had a far bleaker reputation.
A Glimpse into Roman Cuisine: The ‘Pompeii Pizza’
Despite the grim conditions, evidence suggests the bakery’s owner took pride in its produce. A still-life fresco on the atrium wall, just beyond the bakery’s doorway, sparked worldwide interest when uncovered. The artwork depicts a dish strikingly similar to a modern pizza—the first known representation of such a food in Pompeii.
The painted platter also holds other foods, alongside a goblet filled with wine. Unlike today’s pizza, this ancient version appears to feature dates, nuts, and a pesto-like sauce rather than tomatoes and mozzarella. Using the wine goblet as a scale, archaeologists determined that the dish was closer in size to an appetizer than a full meal. While not a true precursor to pizza, this discovery offers an exciting addition to our understanding of Roman cuisine—though its preparation, given the harsh conditions in the bakery, may be less palatable to modern sensibilities.
Unveiling the Stories Beneath the Ash
The excavation of Insula 10 is revealing remarkable insights into daily life and labor in ancient Pompeii. From the architectural layout of a combined residence and bakery to the sobering realities of enslaved labor, the findings paint a vivid picture of a society on the brink of disaster. As archaeologists continue to peel back the layers of volcanic ash, they bring to light stories long buried—offering a poignant reminder of both the vibrancy and vulnerability of life in Pompeii.
