Newly discovered Pompeii fresco depicts a possible ancestor of pizza

A recently discovered fresco at Pompeii depicting a meal seems to feature an ancient form of pizza, according to a statement by the Pompeii Archaeological Park last week.

The 2000-year-old fresco, which was uncovered during recent excavations in the insula 10 of the Regio IX in Pompeii, depicts a plate of food and drink typically offered to guests upon entering the home, called Xenia in ancient Greek.

On the plate, one sees various fruits pomegranates, dates, and lemons, but also a large cup of wine, and a large piece of flatbread with a variety of toppings.

Less prominently one can also see spices and what may be an ancient form of pesto, other condiments are also visible but not identifiable. 

Depiction of food of this kind took inspiration from the ancient Greek tradition of Xenia, "gifts of hospitality". Although this was a Greek tradition, Romans also adopted the custom during the Hellenistic period when Greek culture dominated the Mediterranean. 

Over 300 representations of this kind of painting have been found in the various cities destroyed by Vesuvius. These paintings may also have a connection to the ancient founding myth of the Romans, in which the defeated Trojans arrived on the shores of what would become Rome and ate all the food they could find.

The painting itself was found near what was once a bakery in Pompeii that was partially explored in the late 19th century. Several skeletons were found in the workrooms near the ovens, covered in a layer of characteristic white ash and pumice resulting from the eruption of Vesuvius.

Ancient Pompeii pizza?

Although the dish resembles pizza, it is likely unconnected due to the two main ingredients of pizza, tomatoes and mozzarella, not being found in the ancient Roman diet. Tomatoes are a new world crop that would not be brought to Italy for another 1,500 years after the volcanic eruption and mozzarella would also not be identified by name for a similar number of years, although ancient Romans may have had a similar kind of cheese. 

The legend of the creation of pizza says that the now-popular dish was first created for Queen Margherita of Italy when she visited the city of Naples. The dish has the three national colors of Italy red (tomato), green (basil), and white (mozzarella). However, pizza had probably been made in Naples for a few centuries beforehand.

Images of the fresco along with additional information can be found at the Pompeii website.