NAPLES, ITALY—According to a CBS News report, archaeologists have finished excavating a snack bar, or thermopolium, from the ash in the Regio V section of northeastern Pompeii. About 80 such shops are thought to have dotted the ancient city when it was destroyed by the explosion of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Frescoes in this shop include depictions of a Nereid riding a seahorse, gladiators in combat, ducks, and a rooster. An image of a dog on a leash may refer to the owner’s guard dog, as a complete dog skeleton was found in the doorway. Archaeologist Valeria Amoretti said that fragments of bone found in pots in the shop’s counter indicate that pork, fish, snails, and beef were on the day’s menu. Nine amphoras; a patera, or bronze drinking bowl; and two flasks were also found in the shop, while a fountain and a water tower were uncovered in the small square located in front of it. Human remains recovered at the site suggest a man in his 50s was in bed at the time of the eruption. For more, go to "Digging Deeper into Pompeii's Past."
