Prison bakery discovered during excavations in Pompeii

A prison bakery was discovered during excavations at the archaeological park in Pompeii. Slaves and donkeys were imprisoned and exploited to grind the grain.

It is a narrow space with no view outside. According to experts, the animals had to walk around blindfolded for hours. There was only a small window with iron bars to let in light.

The discovery was made in Insula 10, where excavations are underway as part of a larger project to secure and preserve the facades surrounding the unexplored area of ​​the ancient city of Pompeii. This exposed a house divided into a living area decorated with refined frescoes and a production area intended for bread production.

Three bodies were discovered in one of the bakery areas in recent months. This proves that the room was certainly not empty, the experts report. The find is testimony to the grueling work to which men, women and animals were subjected in the ancient bread mills, wrote the German director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Gabrielschikriegel, in a scientific paper published on Friday.

The millstone area, located in the southern part of the room, is adjacent to a stable with a long manger. A series of semi-circular depressions in the volcanic basalt plates can be seen around the millstones. Given the strength of the material, it is likely that these are scratches specifically made to prevent draft animals from slipping on the sidewalk.

The archaeological site in southern Italy is of great cultural importance. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the ancient city of Pompeii was buried under meters-high piles of ash and was largely preserved. Thousands of people were killed.

After the ancient Roman city was rediscovered in modern times, 44 hectares of the city complex, which had been largely well preserved under the ejecta, were uncovered. (saw/sda/apa)