New discoveries show what life was like for the ultra-wealthy in Ancient Rome after Pompeii excavation (2024)

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Region IX holds both the beauty and brutality of Ancient Rome.

For hundreds of years, volcanic debris preserved Pompeii after the eruption in 79 CE.

Early excavations, starting in the mid-1700s, focused on the city's artwork rather than objects related to daily life, said Barret, a National Geographic Explorer who wasn't involved in the latest research. This meant experts often overlooked those who didn't own these luxury items.

People from a range of social classes lived in Region IX, Barrett said. "There were very wealthy people who could afford houses covered in beautiful wall paintings," she said. "And there were also individuals who led much more difficult lives, like the enslaved people who were compelled to work in a bakery that was sealed with iron bars across the windows."

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Several new discoveries come from the area known for its chaste lovers.

Since 1912, archaeologists have known about the House of the Chaste Lovers. It's a two-story building in the area known as Insula 12 — insulas are distinct collections of buildings, similar to a modern city block.

This fresco depicts a couple sharing a romantic moment amongst others at a feast. It's such an iconic image that Insula 12 is also called the Insula of the Chaste Lovers.

This insula covers about 28,000 square feet and includes several impressive houses.

The House of the Chaste Lovers recently reopened after a renovation project that began in 2017. Several new findings from the insula are now on display. Visitors can gaze down on them from a newly raised walkway.

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Experts found a "chilling" portrait of a hooded child with his pet.

In early June, Pompeii Archaeological Park experts revealed what they called an "unusual" painting of a young child wearing a hood. He's surrounded by grapes and pomegranates and is accompanied by what appears to be a pet dog.

During this time period, dogs were typically depicted hunting or on guard, but the one in this painting seems more like a playmate, according to a report in the E-Journal Scavi di Pompei.

Pomegranates can be a symbol of death, archaeologist Sophie Hay noted on X, which may indicate the owners of the house wanted to memorialize a deceased child. She called the painting chilling, pointing out the toddler's "haunted gaze."

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Thousands of years ago, children made their own gruesome artwork.

Recent excavations can also tell us about how some children played in Ancient Rome.

In the Insula of the Chaste Lovers is the House of the Colonnaded Cenaculum. Thousands of years ago, children used charcoal to depict gladiators and a hunting scene on the courtyard walls of the house.

Psychologists from Federico II University of Naples examined the artwork and estimated that the child, or children, who drew them were around seven years old.

The gladiators in the drawing seem to be in combat, and a pair of hunters with spears are facing off against what looks like two wild boars.

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The children may have seen fights in a nearby amphitheater.

In the same courtyard, a younger child of perhaps five made other charcoal drawings, including the outline of a hand. There are also images of boxers mid-fight, according to the researchers.

These weren't necessarily scenes taken from a child's imagination, according to Pompeii's experts.

Children may have watched fights and executions in a nearby amphitheater, "thus coming into contact with an extreme form of spectacularized violence," Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the Archaeological Park, said in a statement.

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Wealthy people had rooms decorated to impress guests.

A few streets away from the Chaste Lovers block is Insula 10, which has its own enormous residence.

One impressive home in Insula 10 incorporates many rooms, including an elaborate one for dining and a lavishly decorated shrine.

The Insula 10 residence's dining room has black walls covered in well-preserved frescos and could have held a couple dozen guests, Zuchtriegel told NBC News.

Its size and decor were meant to impress, according to a press release from the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

Most people lived in simpler housing, Barrett said, either in rented apartments or rooms or lofts above shops. "And even within wealthy households, the enslaved inhabitants would have lived in much more difficult conditions, sleeping on small and uncomfortable beds within cramped storerooms," she said.

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Guests could discuss the frescoes during dinner.

The images depicted on the dining room walls include scenes from myths and literature. "The paintings would have given people something to talk about over dinner," Barrett said.

One shows the Trojan prince Paris meeting Helen, then queen of Sparta. It was this fateful pairing that sparked the Trojan War, according to legend.

In between the couple are a servant woman — "who is giving Helen a very dubious look," Barrett said — and a dog facing out from the fresco. "I love that dog breaking the fourth wall," Barrett said. "His dismayed expression tells you everything you need to know about what's going to happen next!"

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The frescoes captured images from mythology and literature.

The black room has another fresco related to Greek mythology. Cassandra sits on the right, despairing that she won't be able to stop the Trojan War. The God Apollo, who looks at her in the painting, cursed her so no one would believe her prophesies.

Archaeologists are working to preserve these and other Pompeii frescoes by treating them with glue and putting up temporary roofs to protect them from the elements, according to the BBC.

While the frescoes are incredible, Barrett said more ordinary objects can be just as important to document.

"The burned figs and dates found in front of a household altar might not be as eye-catching as the frescoes, but they tell us about the daily rituals that connected people to their gods," she said.

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A vivid blue shrine showcased the owner's deep pockets.

Another part of the residence with the black dining room held a more private space. Yet it seems the owners spared no expense in decorating the room, which may have served as a shrine.

The owners had it painted blue, which would have been very rare and expensive at the time.

"Having a whole room painted in blue would have made a major statement about the wealth of the house owner," Barrett said.

Paints were typically made from natural materials like minerals or plants. The "Egyptian blue" pigment was synthetic and therefore pricier. "So it was not only valuable but also high-tech," she said.

The owners seemed to be updating the room at the time of the volcanic eruption. A pile of oyster shells was found near other building materials, Barrett said. The workers may have been planning to crush them and add them to plaster to make an ivory-white pigment.

A third of Pompeii's archeological site is still unexcavated, so there will be plenty more to learn as the rest is unearthed.