Well-preserved ancient slave room unearthed in Pompeii

Archaeologists have discovered a room of objects among the buried remains of Pompeii, and say its contents shed light on the living conditions of slaves in the ancient Roman city.

Archaeologists working in "The Room of Slaves", an exceptionally well-preserved room for the slaves who worked in Villa Civita Giuliana in Pompeii.

The room was found at a villa just outside the walls of Pompeii, which was buried in a volcanic eruption in 79AD.

The scene contains furnishings and objects in an excellent state of preservation, including three wooden beds, amphorae, ceramic pitchers and a chamber pot.

"This new important discovery enriches our understanding of the everyday life of the ancient Pompeians, especially that class in society about which little is still known, Italy's Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said.

Under Roman law slaves were considered property and had no legal personhood.

The "slaves room" is close to where a ceremonial carriage was uncovered earlier this year, near the stables of an ancient villa at Civita Giuliana, some 700 metres north of the walls of ancient Pompeii.

On top of the beds, archaeologists discovered a wooden chest containing metal and fabric objects that could have been part of the horses harnesses while on one bed a carriage shaft was found.

Two of the beds were 1.7 metres long while the third was just 1.4 metres, indicating the room might have been used by a small slave family, the culture ministry said

The 16 square-metre room, with a small window high up, also served as a storage space, with eight amphorae found tucked into the corners.

Pompeii, 23km southeast of Naples, was home to about 13,000 people when it was buried under ash, pumice pebbles and dust as it endured the force of an eruption equivalent to many atomic bombs.

The site, not discovered until the 16th century, has seen a burst of recent archaeological activity aimed at halting years of decay and neglect.

-Reuters