Pompeii, new discoveries at Civita Giuliana: slaves were better nourished than "free" slaves. Beans, fruit, and objects used for slave labor were found.

New discoveries are emerging from the villa at Civita Giuliana , north of the Pompeii excavations, where archaeological research is providing a surprising picture of the life of Roman slaves.

According to the latest findings, these workers – considered by the Romans instrumenta vocalia , “speaking instruments” – received a diet that in some cases was superior to that of many free citizens.

The investigations, financed with 140 thousand euros as part of the Ministry of Culture's "National Excavation Campaign", are documented in the official E-Journal of the Pompeii Excavations.

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Beans, fruit, and 16-square-meter cells: the slaves' diet

In a room on the first floor of the servants' quarters, amphorae with beans were found , one of which was half empty, and a large basket of fruit – pears, apples or rowanberries.

Precious supplements for men, women and children forced to live in cells measuring just 16 square metres , each with up to three beds.

The presence of beans and fruit confirms what ancient sources suggested: slaves were fed foods rich in vitamins and proteins to keep them healthy and maximize productivity.

In fact, their economic value could reach thousands of sesterces.

Pantries on the first floor to protect them from mice and to control their consumption

Storing food on the upper floors may have had a dual function: to protect it from rodents – the remains of which had already been found in the ground floor living quarters – and to ration supplies.

It is likely that trusted servants lived on the upper floor , responsible for supervising the other workers.

A villa of exceptional dimensions

The servants' quarters of Civita Giuliana, which could accommodate around fifty people , are one of the largest ever discovered in the Pompeian area.

To feed such a group, 18.500 kg of grain were needed each year , coming from an agricultural area estimated at 25 hectares.

Despite the harshness of the servile condition, it happened that the slaves of the large villas were better fed than many free citizens , often forced to ask for assistance to survive.

Extraordinary casts: doors, agricultural tools and upper floor structures

The excavation has brought to light new, highly detailed plaster casts :

• the door of a double door, with the studs still visible;

• an object related to agricultural tools, perhaps a handle or part of a plough;

• a large leaning door, perhaps under repair, found near the “carpenter's room”.

Archaeologists are also investigating the walls of the upper floors and rooms separated by opus craticium partitions.

«These excavations clearly show how inhumane the ancient slavery system was», comments Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.

"Slaves were treated like tools, but humanity cannot be erased. We breathe the same air, we eat the same things: sometimes slaves even ate better than the so-called free."

Zuchtriegel also recalls that modern forms of slavery , under other names, still involve over 30 million people worldwide today.

The conservation project: stop the tomb raiders and expand the excavation

The villa has been the subject of investigations since 2017, conducted in close collaboration with the Torre Annunziata Prosecutor's Office to combat illegal looting.

A new official demolition, excavation and enhancement project is now underway , which will allow for the expansion of the study of the servants' quarters and the complete reconstruction of the structure of the entire villa.

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