Curiosities of ancient Rome

Roman fresco showing carpenter working with hammer and chisel, possibly Icarus, the son of Daedalus.

Roman bowl with eggs that were preserved under the ashes from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Found in Pompeii, currently located in the National Archaeological Museum, in Naples.

Room in Pompeian lupanar with a stone bed. Discoveries in Pompeii allow to presume that the chambers in which prostitutes offered their services had no door; instead curtains were used.

Burnt plant seeds from Pompeii. Plants used by the Romans to prepare aromatic oils and perfumes included roses, lilies, myrtle, violets, hyacinths and irises. They were mixed with olive oil and grape juice. Those were mixed with olive oil and grape juice.

Roman floor mosaic showing skull with wheel. Object found in Pompeii and now is located in National Archaeological Museum, Naples.

Roman sundial on top of the Ionic column on the left hand side of the steps of the Temple of Apollo. Object found in Pompeii.

Roman mosaic of a satyr and nymph. Located in House of Faun, Pompeii.

Roman wall painting of bird from Boscoreale near Pompeii. Object dated to the 1st century CE.

Ancient Roman marble statue of a panther with a goat’s head between the legs. The marble artifact is in the Vatican Museums in Rome. It was restored in the 18th century.

Detail from Roman mosaic of an actor wearing a comic mask, Pompeii.