Archaeologists discover details of slaves’ lives in ancient Pompeii

Archaeologists have discovered a room in a village on the outskirts of Pompeia, in southern Italy, containing beds and other objects that shed light on the living conditions of slaves in the ancient Roman city buried by a volcanic eruption.

The bedroom, in excellent condition, contains three wooden beds and a series of other objects, including amphorae, ceramic vases and a chamber pot.

“This important new discovery enriches our understanding of the daily life of the ancient Pompeians, especially that class of society about which little is known,” said Italian Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini.

Under Roman law, slaves were considered property and had no legal personality.

The “Slave Room” is near where a ceremonial carriage was discovered earlier this year, near the stables of an ancient village in Civita Giuliana, about 700 meters north of the walls of ancient Pompeii.

On top of the beds, archaeologists discovered a wooden chest containing metal and cloth objects that could have been part of the horses’ harnesses. In another, a carriage axle was found.

Two of the beds were 1.7 meters long, while the third was just 1.4 meters, indicating that the bedroom may have been used by a small slave family, the minister of culture said.

The 16-square-meter room, with a small window at the top, also served as a storage space, with eight amphoras found in the corners of the room.

Pompeii, 23 km southeast of Naples, was home to some 13,000 people when it was buried under the ash, pumice and dust of an eruption in AD 79 – equivalent to the power of many atomic bombs.

The site, discovered only after the 16th century, has seen an explosion of recent archaeological activity aimed at interrupting years of decay and neglect.