The excavated residence, previously linked to Cornelius Maximus, held diverse items ranging from bronze coins and cooking pots to a charm necklace designed to identify and track children. In the home's storage area, researchers also uncovered an amphora holding the fragmented skeletons of two mice. The hasty abandonment of these valuable belongings underscores the panic that gripped residents as the disaster unfolded. Meanwhile, ongoing work at the Villa of the Mysteries is examining servants' quarters to further illuminate non-elite Roman daily life.
Key points
The combination of commercial weights and scattered wealth indicates the residence likely…: The combination of commercial weights and scattered wealth indicates the residence likely belonged to a tradesperson who fled in haste.
Traditional rattling necklaces served practical functions by helping identify and keep tr…: Traditional rattling necklaces served practical functions by helping identify and keep track of young children across mobile Mediterranean communities.
Parallel excavations in the servants' quarters at the Villa of the Mysteries aim to expan…: Parallel excavations in the servants' quarters at the Villa of the Mysteries aim to expand historical understanding of working-class Pompeians.
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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 Pompeii.
The items inside included tweezers, a small glass perfume bottle, an incense burner and a bronze lantern.
But the most intriguing relic was a necklace featuring more than 20 small charms crafted from various materials and representing several deities, including depictions of the gods Bes and Mercury.
The type of necklace, known as a crepundia, was traditionally worn by children. Its decorative charms rattled to help parents keep track of their children and could also help them be identified.
“A crepundia had a very special function,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii archaeological…
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Excavations linked to a restoration initiative near Pompeii's Insula of the Chaste Lovers have uncovered personal belongings inside the House of Cornelius Maximus. The artifacts belonged to an unidentified woman who resided in a comfortable home decorated with fourth-style wall paintings that were undergoing renovations during the eruption. These findings offer rare archaeological evidence of Roman domestic habits, childhood traditions, and ancient household environments.
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