Pompeii: Archaeologists have unearthed an unusual well-preserved 'Slave Room'

In 79 AD, a massive eruption from Mount Vesuvius poured volcanic rubble over Pompeii. Buildings were wrecked, people were crushed or suffocated to death, and the city was buried behind an ash which makes it remarkable up to this day. Its ferocious eruption and pumice spared no one from death in just a span of hours.

Now in a recent discovery, a "slave chamber" on the outskirts of town is now providing light on the lives of Pompeii's enslaved inhabitants.

Dario Franceschini, Italy's Culture Minister, stated, "This new major find deepens our understanding of the everyday existence of the ancient Pompeians." "In particular, that social class about whom little is yet known."

The 172-square-foot chamber was discovered when archaeologists were excavating a house named Civita Giuliana just north of Pompeii's city walls. They discovered three rope and board beds, pottery jugs, and a chamber pot there. The only source of light was a single little window.

A number of additional discoveries indicate that the chamber was also utilized for storage. A chariot shaft and a wooden trunk holding artifacts that may have been used for horse harnesses were also discovered by archeologists.

Archeologists had discovered similar artifacts at Civita Giuliana. They've discovered a ceremonial chariot and a barn with the ghostly remains of three tied horses since 2017.

Civita Giuliana clearly belonged to an affluent family. The slave quarters are an "extraordinary find" for the archaeologists researching the site.

Enslaved individuals were prevalent throughout the Roman Empire, despite the fact that they do not regularly feature in legends about ancient Rome. Their masters could whip, brand, and even murder them because they were considered nothing more than property.

Foreigners, frequently prisoners of war or kidnapped sailors, or those who had been purchased and sold outside of the Roman territory, made up the majority of persons enslaved at this time. They were sometimes the offspring of Romans who were sold for money.

Now is this truly proof of slavery during those times?

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/pompeii-slave-room-intl-scli/index.html

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