2,000 Year Old Painting of a Pizza Proves the Italians Created This Dish!

According to the BBC,  The recently-discovered fresco emerged on a partially-destroyed wall within a Pompeii residence's corridor.

Researchers exploring the preserved Roman city of Pompeii have discovered an artwork that potentially shows an early version of what would become Italy's famous pizza.

Photo: Italian Ministry of Culture

The circular bread shown in the ancient fresco "could represent an early predecessor of today's popular dish," according to Italian heritage officials. However, it lacks the traditional toppings required to classify it as a true pizza.

The artwork was discovered in a residence's entrance hall adjacent to a bakery during current excavations at the southern Italian site. The find occurred this year during ongoing exploration of Regio IX, one of nine sectors comprising the historic settlement.

The structure had undergone partial excavation during the 1800s before work resumed in January this year—approximately two millennia after the volcanic disaster that consumed the city.

Experts at the Unesco-listed archaeological park indicate the newly-revealed fresco showing the bread, depicted alongside a chalice of wine, suggests it may have been consumed with fruits like pomegranates or dates, or enhanced with herbs and a primitive pesto preparation.

Site director Gabriel Zuchtriegel noted the artwork's portrayal of the contrast between "modest, basic fare" and "ornate silver platters." "It's impossible not to draw parallels with pizza, which similarly originated as humble fare in Italy's south before achieving global popularity and earning a place in fine dining establishments," he remarked.

Additionally, researchers recently discovered three human remains near the kitchen area's furnace within the building's service section, officials reported.

The Vesuvius volcanic catastrophe in AD 79 preserved Pompeii under volcanic debris, effectively freezing the city and its inhabitants in time. Since its 16th-century discovery, the location has provided invaluable archaeological insights.

The archaeological park lies approximately 23 km (14 miles) from Naples—the contemporary birthplace of the Unesco-recognized Italian pizza.

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Margie Padgitt is a 40-year veteran chimney business owner, author, and filmmaker living in Kansas City, Missouri. Contact: margepadgitt@gmail.com 

 

Safety Tips for Fireplaces and the Holidays

 Tip #1: Inspections. Some people use their fireplaces year-round and others only build a fire during the holidays - but it is important to have the chimney inspected and cleaned if necessary no matter how much the fireplace is used. This is because things can happen during the year to make fire hazards such as birds or squirrels building flammable nests, masonry deterioration, unseen blockages, etc.

Tip #2: Stockings. In the photo above we see just two stockings hanging above the fireplace, but they are still too close to the fire. Stockings are a fire hazard, so please remove them before building a fire in the fireplace. Also keep all flammable items at least 36" away from the fireplace opening, whether it is wood or gas burning.

Tip #3: Don't Burn Dry Christmas Trees. If you're using a real tree this year, it will dry out by the time January 1 rolls around. Dry pine is the most flammable type of wood but a Christmas tree is the most dangerous. Check YouTube to see some crazy people put their trees into their fireplaces and see them start chimney fires and watch flames shooting out the top of the chimney. Not a good idea. Instead, cut the tree into very small pieces and use them for fire starter throughout the winter.

Tip #4: Don't Burn Wrapping Paper. Keep the pretty wrapping paper out of the fireplace because when it burns it releases toxic fumes. Any paper that has color on it will produce toxins, and that includes magazines, brochures, flyers, etc. As a rule of thumb, only burn cordwood in a fireplace. If you have gas logs, don't put anything in the fireplace.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!