OF MICE AND ROME....
Archaeologists excavating in a recently unexplored area in the outskirts of the buried city of Pompeii have uncovered previously little known aspects of daily life in the 1st century AD.
Pompeii is celebrated for the magnificent wall paintings, fountains and gardens belonging to the rich upper classes, but not much had come to light that revealed the realities of the life of the less fortunate slave workers.
In 2021 digs started around the suburban villa of Civita Giuliana, uncovering a stable with the remains of a horse and a richly decorated parade chariot. However, what really fascinated archaeologists was the discovery of a couple of small rooms where the household slaves lived in bare and spartan conditions - in stark contrast to the luxury accommodation enjoyed by their owners. The solidification of the hot gas erupted from the volcano had preserved the outline of the furniture, the bed linen and household objects and thus enabled precise plaster cast reproductions to be made.
One of the most unexpected discoveries was the remains of two mice inside an amphora that had been stored under one of the beds, plus a black rat inside a clay jug where it had obviously been trying desperately to climb out. Although we know from ancient sources that rodents were present in Ancient Rome, the presence of three in one small room shows how common they must have been and casts new light on the hygienic standards and the spread of disease, despite the Romans' well-known penchant for baths.
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