Archaeologists just uncovered a home in Pompeii that screams next-level rich. We’re talking luxury details that don’t fit what we thought Roman life looked like. The house survived the eruption in shocking condition, frozen in time. Every room hints at power, money, and influence beyond the norm. This discovery is forcing historians to rethink who really ruled Pompeii. Animation is created by Bright Side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/
Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV
Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en Telegram: https://t.me/bright_side_official
Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
00:00So, archaeologists have uncovered an entire block of Pompeii, and it looks like it all belonged to one uber-wealthy individual.
00:09They had a huge private residence, a laundry, a bakery, and a large private bath complex, where they literally bathed in luxury.
00:18Scientists think it could be the largest ever found there, complete with three rooms with different temperatures, exquisite artwork, and a huge plunge pool.
00:27It was lying beneath layers of volcanic rock and ash for 2,000 years, but it's so well-preserved that it feels like the people had only left a minute ago.
00:39The bathhouse was in a residential and commercial block known as Region 9 in the city center.
00:45It could fit up to 30 people at a time and was a status symbol used to impress visitors.
00:50Only a few houses in Pompeii had a private bath complex, so it was something for the wealthiest of the wealthy.
00:58The owner may have invited guests to discuss business or even host team-building events, much like a modern-day CEO of some big company.
01:08Guests would start in the first room, where they soaked in hot water, then move on to the room where they applied oil to their skin and relaxed in warm water.
01:17The final stage was a cold water bath to refresh themselves.
01:21It was the largest and most impressive room, with red columns and frescoes of athletes.
01:27There was also a changing room, with a stunning mosaic floor with marble from across the Roman Empire.
01:34The complex also had a smaller space, painted in pale blue, most likely an ancient Roman shrine used for ritual activities and to conserve sacred objects.
01:45It looks like the residence was in the process of renovation.
01:49There were tools and building materials in the blue room, like oyster shells on the floor, that were supposed to end up on the walls.
01:58Another recent discovery from the complex is a large banquet hall with some of the finest frescoes found among the ruins.
02:05The bathhouse connected to it, and the guests would enjoy lavish feasts here.
02:10In one of the frescoes on the walls of the hall, we can see Apollo and his romantic interest Cassandra, who rejects him.
02:18Uh-oh.
02:19The second fresco shows Prince Paris meeting the beautiful Helen of Troy.
02:24Almost the entire floor of the hall is covered by mosaic tiles, over a million of them.
02:30They probably chose to paint the walls in this room black to hide the traces of soot from all of the lamps.
02:36This proves that the hall was lit, and the owners of the residence probably entertain their guests here after sunset.
02:44The restorers who are working in the hall need to act quickly to protect new finds and move what they can to a storeroom.
02:52They inject a plaster glue to the rear of the frescoes that can't be moved, so they stay in their place on the walls.
03:00Archaeologists have been digging at the estate for two years.
03:03In the summer of 2024, they found the remains of two people in the room next to the blue one.
03:09They had passed away during the volcanic eruption that buried Pompeii.
03:14One was a woman between 35 and 50, and the other was a young man between 15 and 20.
03:21Despite the man's age, his bones had signs of wear and tear, so he was most likely of lower status.
03:27The woman's bones and teeth were in excellent condition, so she must have been higher up in society, probably the wife of the owner of the house.
03:36Scientists found a whole bunch of stuff on the marble top in the room, like glassware, bronze jugs, and pottery.
03:43The lady and the young man probably brought them into the room, hoping to wait out the eruption.
03:48The guy had some keys near him, and the lady had gold and silver coins and jewelry.
03:54The coins are still shiny as new.
03:57Pompeii used to be a hub of trade and travel, so these coins must have served them well at one of the many artisan shops, taverns, and about 200 cafes and bars.
04:09That's about one place to eat and drink for every 60 residents.
04:12They even had fast food shops, something like ancient drive-thrus.
04:18Archaeologists dug out one of these with paintings of chicken, duck, and other food that were probably used as a menu.
04:25They also found traces of pork, fish, snails, and beef in jars and other containers at the fast food counter.
04:32The food was mostly to-go, and sold in large jars.
04:37There were also some back rooms for sit-down eating and drinking.
04:40You would only see the residents with a low income at one of such places, as they didn't have kitchens in their homes and relied on cafe food.
04:50The wealthy had kitchens in their residences, but they were small, poorly-lit rooms, usually tucked away at the back of the house.
04:58Most of the time, the only thing inside was a big brick hearth.
05:03Some richer families had a small oven built into the corner, kind of like a pizza oven.
05:07The only other things in the kitchen were a water basin for cooking and washing dishes, and maybe some wooden table for preparing food.
05:17Romans didn't have fancy kitchen tools like we do today, but they had everything they needed.
05:22They used bronze or iron frying pans, deep cooking pots, and small portable ovens to bake bread.
05:29Instead of plates, they served food on big round platters.
05:32Lunch was a small meal, usually just some meat or fish, fruit, and maybe some drinks.
05:39It was quick and not fancy, so people didn't invite guests to eat with them.
05:44Since it got super hot in Pompeii, people took a nap after lunch.
05:49Later in the afternoon, they went to the public or private baths, where they would relax, swim, and chat with friends for hours.
05:56Afterward, they had their main meal, which was bigger and sometimes included guests.
06:03The food was pretty simple, but tasty.
06:06Most meals were boiled, smoked, fried, or baked, then flavored with a starchy thickener or fish sauce.
06:13The fish sauce was actually so popular that one of the richest families in Pompeii made a fortune from selling it.
06:20They even decorated their front hall with a design of garum jars and mosaic.
06:26Another big source of wealth in Pompeii was land.
06:29Every owner of a big residence had a plot of land where they grow vines or olives or gray sheep.
06:36Archaeologists haven't found many of these properties yet because it's hard to know where to look for them.
06:41But they did find a burial ground of one well-known Pompeian family in the countryside next to what they believed was their country house.
06:52One of the most exciting things to do for Pompeians with different levels of income was going to the amphitheater to watch big, action-packed shows with gladiators.
07:02Their giant stadium is the oldest surviving one of its kind in the Roman world.
07:07The shows lasted for days, and crowds came from all over to watch.
07:13Fans got so excited that in 59 CE, a huge brawl broke out between people from Pompeii and a nearby town.
07:22After that, the authorities shut down the amphitheater for 10 whole years as punishment.
07:27Some people in Pompeii even made paintings on the walls about that brawl, bragging about their victory.
07:34There were also paintings of the gladiators.
07:36Many Pompeians also loved going to the theater to watch plays.
07:41The local theater was built in the 2nd century BCE, and was later made even bigger and fancier.
07:48People watched funny comedies, silly performances called farces, and dramatic plays about ancient myths.
07:55Some plays came from Greece, and wall paintings in Pompeii showed that people liked the famous Greek playwright Menander.
08:02Next to the big theater, there was a smaller, roofed concert hall built around 75 BCE.
Be the first to comment