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2,000-Year-Old 'Pizza' Fresco Discovered in Pompeii

Italians are known for their love of pizza – and now archaeologists may have discovered a painting which depicts what might be its precursor in Pompeii.

Italy’s culture ministry said the flatbread depicted in the 2,000-year-old fresco ‘may be a distant ancestor of the modern dish’.

This is because it lacks the classic ingredients to technically be considered a pizza, with tomatoes and mozzarella not available when the fresco was painted some 2,000 years ago.

Tomatoes were introduced from America a few centuries back, while stories of the origins of mozzarella vary. Some historians suggest its genesis dates as far back as 1000 A.D. when it was invented accidentally, while others claim a much later discovery of mozzarella in the 1700s led to the invention of pizza in nearby Naples.

The fresco was found in the hall of a house next to a bakery during recent digs this year at the site in southern Italy.

The skeletons of three people were also found near the oven in the working areas of the home in recent weeks, a culture ministry statement added.

The discovery was made during new excavations of Regio IX in the centre of Pompeii.

Archaeologists say the flatbread in the picture may have been eaten with fruits such as pomegranates or dates, or dressed with spices and a type of pesto sauce.

Pompeii director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said it shows the contrast between a ‘frugal and simple meal’ and the ‘luxury of silver trays’.

‘How can we fail to think, in this regard, of pizza, also born as a ‘poor’ dish in southern Italy, which has now conquered the world and is also served in starred restaurants,’ he said.

Alongside the fresco, the skeletons of three people were also discovered in the working areas of the home in recent weeks, a culture ministry statement added.

Pompeii was destroyed in the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

The sudden and deadly event left much of the structure intact, embalmed in volcanic ash, and the site is now a major archaeological project and tourist attraction.