Unbelievable! 2000-year-old 'pizza' painting discovered in Italy's Pompeii - WATCH

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Jun 27, 2023, 10:14 PM IST

Archaeologists in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii have uncovered a 2000-year-old painting which depicts what might be the precursor to the Italian pizza.

In the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, archaeologists have discovered a painting that appears to show an early version of the Italian pizza. According to Italy's culture ministry, the flatbread shown in the 2,000-year-old fresco "may be a distant ancestor of the modern dish." However, it isn't exactly a pizza because it doesn't have the traditional elements.

During recent excavations at the southern Italian site, the painting was discovered in the hall of a residence next to a bakery.

A Pompei i nuovi scavi riportano alla luce in una domus un affresco di 2000 anni fa: una natura morta con una focaccia tonda che sembra l'antenata della pizza e accanto un calice di vino pic.twitter.com/JICCJ5fkBT

— Tg3 (@Tg3web)

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The find was made this year during fresh excavations of Regio IX in Pompeii's core, one of the ancient site's nine districts.

After being largely excavated in the 19th century, work on the building resumed in January of this year, over two thousand years after the volcanic eruption that destroyed the city.

The recently discovered fresco, which shows flatbread painted next to a wine goblet, may have been served with fruits like pomegranates or dates or spiced up with a pesto-like sauce, according to archaeologists at the Unesco World Heritage site.

A "frugal and simple meal" and the "luxury of silver trays" are contrasted, according to Pompeii director Gabriel Zuchtriegel.

"How can we fail to think, in this regard, of pizza, also born as a 'poor' dish in southern Italy, which has now conquered the world and is also served in starred restaurants," he said.

A still-life discovered in with an offering of bread (?) and fruits next to a cup of wine pic.twitter.com/DfNOMynN7i

— Gabriel Zuchtriegel (@GZuchtriegel)

A statement from the culture ministry revealed that three other people's skeletons had just been discovered in the working parts of the house, close to the oven.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, ash engulfed Pompeii, trapping the city's inhabitants in place. Since it was discovered in the 16th century, the location has been a valuable resource for archaeologists.

The location is located approximately 23 kilometres (14 miles) from Naples, the current location of the Italian pizza that is protected by the Unesco.

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