Archaeologists working at Pompeii have recovered a cache of personal objects — including a small perfume bottle, fragments of makeup tools, coins and a child’s necklace — from a wooden wardrobe that had been sealed since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
The wardrobe was found inside a room of a dwelling on Via dell’Abbondanza, one of the city’s main thoroughfares in antiquity. Excavators say the combination of volcanic material and the closed furniture created conditions that preserved delicate items that would normally have disintegrated over the centuries.
The assortment of finds, described by archaeologists as fragments of everyday life, ranges from cosmetic instruments and a tiny glass or ceramic perfume container to pieces of jewellery and small denomination coins. The child’s necklace in particular drew attention as an intimate reminder of the presence of children in households across the city.
Archaeologists said the objects offer an unusually personal glimpse into the routines and possessions of residents before the catastrophe. Because furniture and soft materials rarely survive in the open, finds recovered from sealed containers can provide details about how people stored and used their belongings.
Pompeii was buried under meters of ash and pumice after Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, preserving buildings, artworks and everyday objects in situ. Discoveries such as the wardrobe contents contribute to the broader picture of domestic life in the Roman city and are likely to be examined further by conservators and specialists to learn more about their manufacture, use and date.
The excavation on Via dell’Abbondanza adds to a long history of archaeological work at Pompeii, where ongoing digs continue to yield material that illuminates social and material aspects of urban life in the Roman world.