Newly discovered Pompeii ‘blue room’ was buried for 2,000 years

The fact that the room is blue partly explains why researchers believe it must have had a sacred or important purpose. Blue is rarely used in Italian frescoes of this period, as it was an expensive and non-local pigment that required additional labor to produce. Blue “rarely appears in Pompeian frescoes and was generally used for richly decorated rooms,” the statement explains. He also notes objects found in the room, including several bronze objects and more than a dozen amphorae (narrow-necked storage jars) which might indicate that this was a piece of particular importance. Archaeologists believe it is part of a larger complex and are currently excavating nearby bathing buildings and a large reception hall, possibly leading to additional parts of a large house.

A close-up of well-preserved details in the Blue Room of Pompeii. Photo: Publication of the electronic journal of the Pompeii excavations

Pompeii’s Blue Room is one of several notable recent discoveries in this part of the site, including a large dining room with frescoes inspired by the Trojan War, a bakery likely run by prisoners (and donkeys), and even a fresco that some historians thought was oddly like pizza, a dish invented in nearby Naples several centuries after Pompeii. Spoiler: It turns out it’s probably a loaf of focaccia bread, as the various pizza ingredients wouldn’t have been available to citizens during the time of Pompeii. Remarkable discoveries are made at the site almost every year.

Only about two-thirds of Pompeii has been excavated, so it’s unclear what might be found next.

What happened in Pompeii?

Photo: Balate.Dorin/Shutterstock

The history of Pompeii dates back millennia, probably first established by the indigenous Oscan people around the 8th century BCE. The Etruscans followed, but in the 6th century BCE the city fell under the influence of the Greeks, then the Romans. Pompeii flourished under Roman rule, becoming a thriving trading center with fertile soil and a strategic location.

Unfortunately, this soil was fertile due to the nearby volcano, called Mount Vesuvius. It was believed to be dormant, but it unleashed its fury in 79 AD. The eruption occurred in a series of violent phases and was likely a Plinian eruption, one of the most violent types of volcanic eruptions possible (and named after Pliny the Elder, who died in the eruption). Plumes of ash and pumice likely clogged the sky, falling over Pompeii and its surrounding settlements. Rapid pyroclastic lava flows likely raced down the slopes of Vesuvius, incinerating everything in their path with little or no notice.

The eruption enveloped Pompeii in a thick layer of ash, preserving the city like a time capsule. For centuries, Pompeii remained buried and largely forgotten, and its rediscovery occurred gradually, with the first excavations in the 16th century motivated by the search for valuable objects. By the 18th century, additional scientific efforts were underway to reveal the city frozen in time underground.

Today, Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most studied and researched archaeological sites in the world. It is also one of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions, attracting almost three million visitors a year.