Archaeologists in Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD, have made the extraordinary find of a frescoed hot food and drinks shop that served up the ancient equivalent of street food to Roman passersby.

 

Known as a thermopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, the shop was discovered in the archaeological park’s Regio V site, which is not yet open the public, and unveiled on Saturday.

Traces of nearly 2,000-year-old food were found in some of the deep terra cotta jars containing hot food which the shop keeper lowered into a counter with circular holes.

The front of the counter was decorated with brightly coloured frescoes, some depicting animals that were part of the ingredients in the food sold, such as a chicken and two ducks hanging upside down.

Emerging from under the volcanic ash.

80 Thermopolia have been uncovered so far in Pompeii.  The ancient McDonald's.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Thermopolium emerged in the open space which acts as a crossroads between Vicolo delle Nozze d’Argento and Vicolo dei Balconi, which has now been entirely uncovered. The commercial structure has been partially excavated, since it lies along one of the excavation fronts subject to the stabilisation and consolidation intervention of the Great Pompeii Project, which is focusing on the over 3km perimeter of the unexcavated area of the site.