Ancient food and hot drinks shop uncovered in Pompeii

There is probably no culture or civilization which has not had an array of food, and a group ofarchaeologists have found yet another evidence of that.

Archaeologists in Pompeii have made a remarkable discovery in the city which was buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. They have unearthed a hot food and drinks shop in the buried city. This shop, as per the experts, is equivalent to the modern-age food street.

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"This is an extraordinary find. It's the first time we are excavating an entire termopolium," said Massimo Ossana, director of the Pompeii archaeological park.

Unveiled on Saturday, the shop was known astermopolium, which is Latin for 'hot drinks counter'. It was discoveredin the archaeological park's Regio V site, which is not yet open to the general public.

Thearchaeologists were also successful in scraping of traces of food from nearly 2,000 years ago. The scrapings were found in deep terra cotta jars that were used for hot food and were placed by lowering into a counter with circular holes.

Traces of pork, fish, snails and beef were also found in several containers, which points that animals were used in several dishes being served at the counter.

In the discovery, it can be seen that the front of the counter used to be decorated with brightly-colouredfrescoes. Some of the illustrations were also of animals, which the experts believe were the ones being served/used in food items, such as chicken and two ducks hanging upside down.

Archaeologists also found a decorated bronze drinking bowl known as a patera, ceramic jars used for cooking stews and soups, wine flasks and amphora.

"Our preliminary analyses shows that the figures drawn on the front of the counter, represent, at least in part, the food and drink that were sold there," said Valeria Amoretti, a site anthropologist.

Pompeii is a town to southeast of Naples which is believed to be home to nearly 13,000 people before it was burnt to ash after a deadly volcanic eruption. Archaeologists started uncovering the buried town near 1750, and as of now about two-thirds of the town has been uncovered.