A stable with the remains of an entire horse, a 4-wheeled ceremonial chariot, two slave rooms, and a sacellum. These are just some of the discoveries made from 2017 to date near the villa of Civita Giuliana in Pompeii.
An important excavation that has returned fundamental finds and knowledge to history but also put an end to the constant looting of objects by grave robbers.
And it is precisely to put an end to this depredation activity that in recent years excavations in the northern part of Pompeii have intensified, allowing a series of sensational discoveries to be brought to light.
The villa located in the northern part of the ancient city was originally divided into 2 rooms: a servile room and a noble room. So far only a part of the villa has been brought to light. Excavation work is still continuing and it is certain that many are the discoveries that Pompeii will give us to know and discover.
The noble environment of the Villa of Civita Giuliana in Pompeii
The noble ambience, reserved for the hosts, has already shown the true heritage this city has to give to history.
Elegant rooms that originally allowed direct views of the magnificent Bay of Naples, decorated with magnificent frescoes. Living rooms paved with both elegant cocciopesto floors with stone tiles and refined marble inserts.
A Villa that had nothing to envy the others, even if far from the fulcrum of the city of Pompeii.
The subservient environment of the Villa
But the most important finds so far have occurred in the servile area and thus in the productive quarter of the villa. Here, in fact, the remains of three harnessed horses were discovered in a stable of the ancient villa, of which it was possible to make the first whole cast of a horse.
But not only that, an unprecedented find in the history of Pompeii and Italy was made in an adjacent room. A four-wheeled ceremonial chariot, made of wood and with iron elements. With refined bronze and silver decorations still perfectly visible, used by Pompeian elites for ceremonies and to accompany the bride to her new home.
On display today along with the horse cast, in the antiquarium of the Boscoreale excavations. It can be visited via a shuttle service, Pompeii Artebus, departing from the Pompeii excavations with the Pompeii Plus integrated ticket.
Two rooms reserved for slaves, of which in one it was possible to make plaster casts of beds and other objects in perishable materials that left their imprint in the cinerite.
In the other, however, casts were made on much of the furniture. This included beds and small closets, allowing for a picture of what it looked like before the eruption.
And it was precisely from the cast of the beds that it was possible to understand that even in the days of ancient Pompeii there was a hierarchy even among the slaves themselves. Indeed, while one of the two beds found was simple and without a mattress. The other found in the same room was made of more expensive materials and equipped with a backboard.
A sacellum, among the latest discoveries in the Villa of Civita Giuliana
But among the recent discoveries that have caused no small stir among archaeologists themselves is the latest finding of a room dedicated to worship, a sacellum.
The sacellum made with a sloping roof and a plastered and white-painted exterior front, was characterized by the presence of a large portal (2.65 x 2.75 m).
The interior, on the other hand, featured laterally a pictorial decoration in the IV style with twelve yellow drapery panels on a red background. And in the center a masonry podium probably used as a support for a statue.
Unfortunately, a large part of the sacellum was found to be damaged as a result of grave robbers leaving huge access holes and detached pieces of frescoes. Causing quite a bit of damage to the entire priceless structure, interrupted now with the start of excavations.
Presumably, in fact, inside the sacellum was a small temple named after Hercules and some frescoes depicting the 12 Labors of Hercules. Of which, however, there are no traces at present as a result of the passage of grave robbers.
