Early pizza painting - 17th July 2023

Scientists in Pompeii found a very old painting of a pizza. The painting shows a flat bread, focaccia. It had fruits and spices on it. This pizza isn’t like modern pizza with tomatoes and mozzarella. Two thousand years ago, Romans didn't have these ingredients.

Traditional Roman cooking used grains, beans, bread, fish, meat, eggs, cheese and wine. Food paintings from this time were about culture. The painting shows simple foods and expensive meals too.

In 79 AD, a volcano covered Pompeii with ash. The dust and gas from the volcano killed many people. But it kept pictures and objects in good condition. They help us to understand more about the past.

Now, scientists and tourists visit Pompeii. It’s a store of information about life in Roman times. Government rules help to look after Pompeii. It’s an important place.

The pizza painting in Pompeii’s only 25 kilometres from Naples. This is the home of the modern pizza.