Jan17

hot pizza.

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Pics: Archaeological Park of Pompeii

The image is believed to be a pizza predecessor; a focaccia-style bread covered with fruit such as a pomegranate and dates, and a type of pesto.  – Courtesy Archaeological Park of Pompeii

 

A 2,000-year-old painting uncovered in Pompeii could show a “distant ancestor” to the modern pizza, archaeologists have said.

The art was discovered on the wall of an ancient house during an excavation – but the food it depicts looks slightly different from your Friday night takeaway.

Iconic ingredients such as tomato and mozzarella are nowhere to be seen, and it appears the flat focaccia bread has been seasoned with spices instead.

And while a goblet of wine placed on the silver tray might be more familiar to 21st-century pizza lovers, most of us would choose a side of garlic bread over dried fruit.

The painting was discovered just 14 miles (23km) from Naples, where the traditional art of pizza making has been granted UNESCO protection.

Pompeii was destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago, but the site was not discovered until the 16th century.

Since January, there has been a burst of archaeological activity that is designed to halt years of decay and neglect.

The painting was discovered in the hall of a house that had a bakery attached to it.

“Pompeii never ceases to amaze, it is a casket that always reveals new treasures,” Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii’s archaeological park, believes the artwork reminds us of how far the humble pizza has come.

“How can we fail to think, in this regard, of pizza, also born as a ‘poor’ dish in southern Italy, which has now conquered the world and is also served in starred restaurants,” he said.

Almost a third of Pompeii remains buried under ash – meaning there will be countless other hidden gems that are worth quite a lot of dough.

 

“pizza makes me think that anything is possible.”

-henry rollins

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in honor of national pizza week

 

 

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credits: sky news, connor sephton

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99 responses »

  4. While pizza isn’t such a staple here as it is in the US, we sure appreciate it too. But the focaccia has always been around in Italy with 1001 variations, one of the most frequently eaten one with Olive oil and rosemary and (sea) salt….. it’s wonderful news, didn’t know that. I VERY much appreciate your last sentence. Love it, in fact…. My doughy self was wobbling with laughter.

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  7. Intriguing find! The ancient Pompeii painting, a precursor to pizza, offers a delightful glimpse into its evolution. Pizza’s humble beginnings transformed remarkably over the centuries. Henry Rollins’ quote nails it – pizza makes anything possible! 🍕🕵️‍♂️

    ~David

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  13. It is interesting that they are digging up so much right now that so many volcanoes are erupting around the world and other natural disasters are burying the crass junk we have brought to the world. I find this information quite interesting.

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  22. What a gorgeous painting and fabulous find. Normal there were no tomatoes as they were introduced to Italy only in the 15th or 16th century (hard to believe they were not always a part of the culture!)


    Guess I will have to have pizza this week, too… Mmmm good stuff.

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  29. Pizza week! If ever there was a holiday that deserved a full week… LOL :)

    I’d imagine we’d find similar ancient foods similar to pizza in India and the Middle East also. People really aren’t all that different when we set aside our biases and look. :)

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