They find the ‘sacrarium’ of a ‘domus’ in Pompeii

A room with walls painted in blue tones that could have been used as a ‘sacrarium’, that is, it was dedicated to ritual activities and guarding religious objects. This is the latest discovery that archaeologists have made in Pompeii, the ancient Roman city located in southern Italy whose life was frozen when, in the year 79 AD, the volcano Vesuvius erupted. In the excavations carried out in the central area of ​​this city that once had about 20,000 inhabitants, this room was located, measuring about 8 square meters, whose walls are decorated with female figures, allegories of the four seasons, agriculture and grazing. The blue background is a rarity in homes embellished with frescoes from Pompeii, since it was a color that was generally used only in places where a more complex decoration had been planned, as is the case in this case.

As reported by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii this Monday in a statement, the area where the room was found had already been partially explored in the mid-18th century under the reign of Carlos de Borbón, the future Charles III of Spain, the great promoter of the excavations. in his time. The new work has allowed some objects that were part of the room’s furniture to come to light, such as fifteen amphorae, several jugs and lamps and other household items. Several piles of construction material were also found, prepared to be used in home renovation works, as well as a striking curiosity: a mountain of oyster shells. The shells of these mollusks were crushed and then added as powder to the mortar used by bricklayers.

The discovered room was part of a large ‘domus’, one of the luxurious homes used by Roman patricians. In the same house a large living room was found whose walls were decorated in black. The remains of this building are located in the area known as Regio IX of Pompeii, where in recent years excavations and various works have been carried out to improve the conservation of the archaeological site.