By Archeologists Unearth Pizza’s “ancient relative” in Pompeii ruins
On the morning of June 28, 2023, at 5:30 AM local time in Pompeii, Italy, the Pompeii Archaeological Park announced an exciting archaeological discovery set to rewrite the culinary history books. The findings suggest that the origins of pizza, one of the world’s most beloved dishes, may go back further than previously thought, predating even the Roman Empire. This revelation is all the more tantalizing as pizza, in its recognizable form with the iconic combination of dough, tomato, and mozzarella, is widely associated with Italy, especially the city of Naples.
Ongoing excavation at Pompeii-Parco Archeologico
The 2,000-year-old painting discovered in Pompeii, Italy, that is thought to depict a flatbread similar to pizza, offers a fascinating glimpse into the culinary history of the time. The painting appears to show a focaccia-like flatbread that serves as a base for various fruits, possibly seasoned with a type of pesto, or moretum in Latin, as indicated by yellow and ochre dots. This is in line with the idea of “hospitable gifts” or Xenia, which were traditional offerings to guests in the Greek tradition dating back to the Hellenistic period (3rd–1st century BC).
2,000-year-old painting discovered in Pompeii, Italy; Pompeii-Parco Archeologico
The fresco was discovered amidst a half-crumbled wall of a house, which included a bakery in an annex. The building was partly excavated in the 19th century, and archaeological efforts resumed in January 2023. The director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, noted that the painting reveals the stark contrast between the simplicity of the meal and the luxury of the surrounding artifacts.
The fresco, painted on wet lime plaster, portrays a flatbread that might have been enjoyed with fruits such as pomegranate or dates, or seasoned with spices and a type of pesto sauce. This ancient meal bears notable differences to the pizzas relished today, notably the absence of tomato and mozzarella cheese, ingredients that had yet to be introduced to Italy when the fresco was painted.
The history of pizza dates back to ancient times, with various cultures producing basic flatbreads with toppings. A precursor to pizza was likely the focaccia, a flatbread known to the Romans as panis focacius. The term “pizza” was first documented in AD 997, and the modern pizza we know today evolved from similar flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy, in the 18th or early 19th century. Flatbreads similar to pizza were common in many ancient cultures. For example, in the 6th century BC, Persian soldiers baked flatbreads with cheese and dates on their battle shields, while in Ancient Greece, citizens made a flatbread called plakous, flavored with toppings like herbs, onion, cheese, and garlic.
However, it’s important to note that the painting from Pompeii and the concept of pizza we are familiar with today would have been quite different. The main ingredients of modern pizza—tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese—were not yet available in Pompeii around 2,000 years ago. Tomatoes were not recorded in Italy until 1548, after they were brought from the Americas2, and the term “mozzarella” first appeared in Italy in a cookbook in 1570, although cheese-making with buffalo milk, which mozzarella is traditionally made from, was recorded as far back as the 12th century.
So while the ancient Romans and other cultures had dishes that were similar to what we now call pizza, they were not the same as the pizza we know and love today. The introduction of tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, which are now fundamental ingredients of pizza, happened much later in history. This is a great example of how food and recipes evolve over time, influenced by changes in available ingredients, culinary techniques, and cultural exchange.
