Oplontis, new victims of the 79 AD eruption discovered

The study led to a new interpretation of the find: through the review of the archaeological context and bioarchaeological analyses, it was possible to establish that the number of victims was higher than that previously identified. A fact that opens new perspectives on the reconstruction of the tragedy and on the ways in which the inhabitants tried to save themselves from the catastrophe.

But the research also revealed an unexpected aspect of their daily life: although Oplontis was a coastal centre, the inhabitants did not have a diet predominantly based on the sea. The isotopic analyzes conducted on the skeletal remains have in fact shown a prevalence of terrestrial food resources. The basis of the diet was mainly cereals, such as wheat and barley, legumes and other local agricultural products. To these were added proteins of animal origin, probably through the consumption of meat and dairy products. Fish was a possible food resource, but the study results indicate that it had a secondary role in the daily diet.

“This confirms – commented the director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Gabriel Zuchtriegel – that when the Gospel says “give us today our daily bread”, it was not so much a metaphor, in the sense of food and more generally of sustenance, but of the reality of the majority of the population, who mainly ate bread and cereals”.

The study also highlighted that the dietary differences between men and women were limited, while elements emerged that suggest different ways of feeding farmed animals, probably linked to the species and their use. Oplontis thus becomes a fundamental case study for understanding not only the moment of death of the victims of the eruption, but also life before the tragedy: what the inhabitants of the Vesuvian area in Roman times ate, how they lived and what resources they used.

The research will continue with the analysis of the remains of the victims found in the other sites of the Greater Pompeii, with the aim of reconstructing an increasingly complete picture of the population affected by the eruption of Vesuvius.

The article “A multidisciplinary bioarchaeological approach to diet at Oplontis (Pompeii): evidence for predominantly terrestrial resources”, written by Valentina Giacometti, Simona Altieri, Noemi Mantile, Maria Rosa di Cicco, Chiara Comegna, Valeria Amoretti, Gabriel Zuchtriegel and Carmine Lubritto, is available in open access. To delve deeper into research on the diet and lifestyle of the Vesuvian populations, the latest issue of National Geographic (volume 02/August 2026) dedicates an article to ongoing scientific studies. (by Paolo Martini)