Pompeii Artifacts — Coins, Food, Jewelry & Finds
What Artifacts Have Been Found in Pompeii?
Pompeii has yielded one of the richest collections of everyday objects from the ancient world. Because the city was sealed under volcanic ash in AD 79, carbonized bread, coins, jewelry, surgical tools, glassware, lamps, graffiti, frescoes and mosaics all survived. Many of the finest pieces are now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), while excavation continues to reveal more.
A Snapshot of Daily Life
What makes Pompeii's artifacts so valuable is not their rarity but their ordinariness. The eruption froze a living city, preserving the objects people used every day rather than only royal treasures. The result is an unmatched window into Roman life.
The finds fall into clear categories:
- Food and organic remains — carbonized loaves of bread, some still stamped by the baker, along with nuts, figs, eggs and grain.
- Coins — bronze and silver currency found in purses, shops and homes, helping date events and trace trade.
- Jewelry — gold rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces, sometimes found with the victims who wore them.
- Surgical and medical tools — sophisticated bronze instruments revealing the state of Roman medicine.
- Glassware and lamps — delicate blown-glass vessels and oil lamps preserved intact.
- Graffiti — painted and scratched inscriptions: election notices, prices, jokes and names.
- Frescoes and mosaics — wall paintings and floor designs of exceptional quality.
Where to See the Finds
Much of the very best material was removed for safekeeping. The National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) holds the city's masterpieces — the great mosaics, finest frescoes, bronzes and jewelry. Pompeii's on-site Antiquarium displays a strong selection beside the ruins, and many objects remain in situ within the park where they were found.
| Find type | Where best seen |
|---|---|
| Mosaics & top frescoes | Naples Museum (MANN) |
| Body casts & silver | On-site Antiquarium |
| In-context objects | Houses and shops in the park |
| Newest excavated finds | Regio V & Civita Giuliana areas |
Recent and Ongoing Discoveries
Pompeii is still an active excavation, and recent seasons have been spectacular. Work in the Regio V district has exposed bright, freshly preserved frescoes, a beautifully painted thermopolium (snack bar) and household shrines. Just outside the city walls, the villa at Civita Giuliana produced a near-complete ceremonial chariot and the rare remains of a slaves' living quarters.
Because digging continues, new discoveries regularly make headlines — a reminder that even after more than 250 years of excavation, much of Pompeii and its artifacts still lies underground.
Pompeii: Small Group Tour with an Archaeologist
See it with an expert — a small-group walk through Pompeii led by a professional archaeologist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What artifacts have been found in Pompeii?
Pompeii has produced an extraordinary range of artifacts: carbonized bread and food, coins, jewelry, surgical and medical tools, glassware, oil lamps, graffiti, frescoes and mosaics. Because the city was sealed under volcanic ash, everyday objects survived in remarkable detail, giving a uniquely complete picture of Roman daily life.
Where are Pompeii's artifacts kept now?
Many of the finest pieces are in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), which holds the city's best mosaics, frescoes, bronzes and jewelry. Other finds are displayed in Pompeii's on-site Antiquarium, while newly excavated objects often remain in storerooms or in situ within the Archaeological Park.
What are some unusual Pompeii artifacts?
Among the more unusual finds are loaves of carbonized bread still bearing the baker's stamp, a Roman snack-bar counter painted with food, intricate sets of bronze surgical instruments, and fragile glass vessels preserved intact. Painted graffiti — election notices, jokes and names — survives on walls across the city.
What are the newest discoveries in Pompeii?
Recent work in the Regio V district has uncovered vivid frescoes, a thermopolium (snack bar) and painted shrines, while the Civita Giuliana villa just outside the walls has yielded a ceremonial chariot and the remains of a slaves' room. Excavation is ongoing, so new discoveries continue to emerge.