Archeology: Fast-food counter at Pompeii excavated

Ars Technica said:

A recently-unearthed termopolium, or “hot drinks counter” served up ancient Roman street food—and plenty of wine—to the people of northeast Pompeii in the days before Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city in a cataclysmic 79 CE eruption. Painted bright yellow and decorated with detailed frescoes, the counter would have been a quick stop for hot, ready-made food and drinks. And the small shop still holds the remains of its proprietor and perhaps one of its last customers.

Archaeologists found the bones of at least two people in the termopolium. It's difficult to say much about who they were or what they were doing when they died, because looters in the 1600s shoved the skeletons haphazardly out of their way, leaving one scattered around the room and parts of the other stuffed into a large dolium, or serving jar. The scattered set of bones mostly belonged to someone at least 50 years old, who may have been laying in bed when the pyroclastic flow swept through town. Space in the shop is set aside for storing a bed, and archaeologists found nails and wood residue under the scattered remains.

The termopolium is a surprisingly modern setup—or maybe it’s more accurate to say that modern quick-serve restaurants are based on a surprisingly ancient model. Food was displayed in deep terracotta jars called dolia, set into holes in the top of the counter, just like plastic or metal tubs set into the counter hold ingredients at Subway or Chipotle today. Presumably the jars could be removed and stored at the end of the day. Archaeologists also found ceramic cooking jars, flasks and amphorae for storing wine, and a bronze drinking bowl.

Grabbing a takeout meal at a food counter like this one, or sitting down to eat at a local taberna, would have part of the daily routine for most people in a Roman city like Pompeii. Today, we think of eating out as a pricey convenience or a splurge, but for most people in Roman cities, cooking at home wasn’t a practical option. Most city-dwellers lived in apartment buildings called insulae, and although they usually had a hearth for warming and simple cooking, they didn’t have full kitchens.

Like the food counter, apartment blocks are a surprisingly old idea. In cities like Rome, Pompeii, and Naples, insulae were popular real estate investments for the wealthy. And just like in the modern world, ancient Roman landlords often skimped on a construction and maintenance to pad their profit margins. The lower floor of each building would usually feature shops, taverns, and restaurants, and the most expensive apartments would occupy the next few floors. Apartments on the upper stories, which were smaller and took several flights of stairs to reach, were the cheapest.

And all of those insula residents had to eat, so they headed to brightly-painted termopolia and tabernas (hot drinks counters and pubs) for their meals. At its height, just before Mount Vesuvius buried everything in ash, Pompeii’s streets featured at least 80 termopolia serving up cheap, relatively simple but surprisingly diverse fare. Bread and cheese would have been staples, along with lentils, cheese, beef, and chicken. Soups and stews would have been common, too, and most counters would have served wine and beer.

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