---
title: "Oplontis: What Did the Victims of Vesuvius Eat in AD 79? - Pompeii Online"
description: "A new study on the victims of Oplontis reveals their diet before the AD 79 eruption: mainly cereals, legumes and products from the land."
url: "https://www.pompeionline.net/en/news/554-what-did-the-people-of-oplontis-eat-a-new-study-on-the-victims-of-vesuvius"
date: "2026-08-22T14:49:39+00:00"
language: "en-GB"
---

#  What Did the People of Oplontis Eat? A New Study on the Victims of Vesuvius

 ![Foods of the Roman diet at Oplontis with bread, cereals, legumes, fruit and Mount Vesuvius in the background](https://www.pompeionline.net/images/webp/oplontis-alimentazione-romana-1200.webp "Food and Diet at Oplontis in Roman Times") *AI-generated illustrative reconstruction inspired by the diet of the inhabitants of Oplontis before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.* Bread, cereals, legumes and products from the land were probably at the heart of the daily diet of the people of Oplontis who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. This is revealed by a new bioarchaeological study of human remains found in the so-called Villa B, in modern-day Torre Annunziata, just a few kilometres from ancient Pompeii.

The research offers a particularly fascinating glimpse into everyday life in the Vesuvian area. Almost two thousand years after the eruption, the analysis of human bones makes it possible to reconstruct not only how some of the victims died, but also the foods that formed part of their diet.

## The Victims of Villa B at Oplontis

The study focuses on remains recovered from Room 10 of Villa B at Oplontis, also known as the Villa of Lucius Crassius Tertius.

The complex stood close to the ancient shoreline and was closely connected with commercial and agricultural activities. Numerous amphorae and areas used for storing and trading local products, particularly wine, have been discovered within the building.

When Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, a group of people sought refuge in one of the rooms, probably hoping to escape the disaster through the nearby harbour area.

A new examination of the archaeological and anthropological remains has also allowed researchers to reconsider the number of people who were present in the building at the time of the eruption.

## Bones Reveal What They Ate

To reconstruct the diet of these individuals, researchers analysed bone collagen using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen.

In simple terms, different types of food leave characteristic chemical traces in the human body. By studying these traces, scientists can estimate which food resources played the greatest role in the diet of an ancient population.

The research analysed **46 human samples and 3 animal samples**, combining the isotopic results with archaeological, anthropological and palaeopathological evidence.

## Mainly Wheat, Barley and Legumes

The results point to a diet based primarily on **terrestrial and plant-based resources**.

Among the foods most consistent with the data are cereals such as **wheat and barley**, together with **legumes and other locally grown agricultural products**.

This provides a very tangible picture of everyday life in the Roman Vesuvian area: bread and cereals were probably fundamental components of the diet, accompanied by produce from the surrounding countryside.

The findings also have interesting parallels with what we know about nearby Pompeii. To explore this subject further, you can read our article on **[food and diet in ancient Pompeii](https://www.pompeionline.net/en/archaeological-park-of-pompeii/pompeian-curiosities/a-journey-into-pompeian-gastronomy)**, including bread, wine, shops and the foods eaten by the city's inhabitants.

Animal proteins were also part of the diet, probably including **meat and dairy products**, although in more moderate quantities.

## Surprisingly Little Fish Despite the Proximity to the Sea

One of the most interesting aspects of the research concerns fish.

Oplontis stood close to the sea and to an area involved in intensive commercial activity. It might therefore seem natural to assume that fish and other marine resources played an important role in the local diet.

The analyses, however, tell a different story.

Marine resources appear to have made a **relatively limited contribution**, while the main components of the diet came from the land and from agriculture.

This does not mean that fish was completely absent from the tables of Oplontis, but it does suggest that it was not one of the principal sources of food for the individuals included in the study.

## Men and Women Had Similar Diets

The isotopic values show some differences between individuals, indicating that not everyone followed exactly the same diet.

However, researchers found no particularly marked differences between men and women.

This is an interesting result because it suggests that, at least among the group studied, sex did not lead to major differences in access to the main categories of food.

## A New Way to Discover Life Before the Eruption

Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and the other sites buried by Vesuvius are often explored through their buildings, frescoes and objects preserved beneath the volcanic material.

Modern scientific techniques, however, allow researchers to go much further.

Bones, plant and animal remains, seeds, amphorae and traces left by food can reveal aspects of everyday life that would be difficult to reconstruct from written sources alone.

The Oplontis study therefore presents a population strongly connected to the agricultural landscape of the Vesuvian area. Cereals, legumes and products from the countryside probably formed the basis of the diet, while meat, dairy products and fish played a more complementary role.

## Visit Pompeii and Discover Everyday Roman Life

For visitors to the archaeological site today, understanding aspects such as food, homes, shops and everyday activities can provide a completely different perspective on the ruins.

A **guided tour of Pompeii** can be especially useful for recognising ancient bakeries, thermopolia, houses, workshops and other places that help explain how the inhabitants of the city lived before the eruption.

**[Discover guided tours of Pompeii and the available options](https://www.pompeionline.net/biglietti-online-tickets/pompei-ingresso-e-visita-guidata).**

## From the Victims of Oplontis to Greater Pompeii

The research represents only one stage of a broader scientific project.

Future studies may compare the evidence from Oplontis with data from Pompeii and other sites in the Greater Pompeii area, helping researchers understand whether dietary differences existed between towns, neighbourhoods, social groups and communities around Vesuvius.

For people visiting these sites today, studies of this kind add another dimension to our understanding of the Roman world: behind the houses, temples and streets preserved by the eruption, the everyday habits of the people who lived there are becoming increasingly visible.

### Scientific Source

Valentina Giacometti, Simona Altieri, Noemi Mantile, Maria Rosa di Cicco, Chiara Comegna, Valeria Amoretti, Gabriel Zuchtriegel and Carmine Lubritto, *A multidisciplinary bioarchaeological approach to diet at Oplontis (Pompeii): evidence for predominantly terrestrial resources*, **Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports**, vol. 74, 2026, [article 105986](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X26004219).

The research was carried out in collaboration between the Applied Research Laboratory of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and the DiSTABiF of the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”.

   Details   Written by: Pompei Online   Also available: [![Italian](https://www.pompeionline.net/media/mod_languages/images/it.gif "Italian")](https://www.pompeionline.net/it/infoanews/pompei-scavi-news/553-cosa-mangiavano-gli-abitanti-di-oplontis-un-nuovo-studio-sulle-vittime-del-vesuvio)    Last Updated: 22 August 2026

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