The Thermopolium of Regio V is one of the most important discoveries made during the recent excavations at Pompeii. The establishment was partially identified in 2019 and subsequently excavated in its entirety.
Thermopolia were establishments where ready-to-eat food and drink were sold. They were very common at Pompeii, where at least eighty have been identified. Food could be stored in the large containers, or dolia, set into the masonry counter.
What makes this establishment exceptional above all is the painted decoration of the counter. One side shows a Nereid riding a hippocamp; other panels depict animals and still lifes, including ducks and a cockerel, probably also connected with the foods prepared and sold there. Another scene represents the same kind of commercial activity that took place in the establishment.
The excavations yielded food remains and animal bones that have made it possible to study what was prepared and consumed. Containers, amphorae, and other evidence relating to the final phase of the establishment’s use before the eruption of AD 79 were also found.
The Thermopolium therefore offers exceptional evidence not only for food and diet, but also for the daily and commercial life of Pompeii.
