1. Bria Milligan and Zara Smith
Little slice of heaven
Bria Milligan and Zara Smith

2. Everyday food
Food was of great importance in both Pompeii and Herculaneum. Sources suggest that dinner would commence at 4 o'clock and was the main meal of the day. In wealthier households, dinner consisted of three courses: an entrée, a main meal, and dessert. Although some food items were pre-prepared and bought outside of the home, most food, such as fish, vegetables, poultry, eggs, and other fresh produce were prepared inside the home. Garum was used as a flavouring sauce on a variety of food, whilst wine was a popular beverage. Sources include several carbonized food items found in various locations throughout the two cities, preserved during the eruption. The kitchen at the House of The Vetti displays a typical kitchen, complete with cooking utensils.
Mosaic from the House of the Faun
Still-life frescoes from the House of the Deer

3. Culture of food
The Romans ate three times a day: at lentaculum (breakfast), prandium (lunch), and cena (dinner). The first meal of the day generally consisted of breads, fruit, and cheese. Prandium was usually made up of meats, eggs, vegetables, and bread. Cena, eaten at dusk, could be a variety of food items, usually ending with a sweet item such as a piece of fruit. The food culture of Pompeii and Herculaneum was influenced by the trade relations with Egypt and countries in the Mediterranean. Archaeologists noted that some types of seashells found in the sewers of Herculaneum came from the town's own beach, but grain was likely imported from Egypt, while pepper is considered to come from India. A variety of exotic and imported food items have been found, such as flamingos, and spices that have been thought to come from Indonesia, as well as minimal cuts of more expensive meat and salted fish from Spain.
Graffiti from the wall of the triclinium in the House of Moralist depicts a family attending a meal.
“How part of the animal, butchered, came to be a kitchen scrap in a seemingly standard Pompeian restaurant not only speaks to long-distance trade in exotic and wild animals, but also something of the richness, variety and range of a non-elite diet.” says Steven Ellis, a University of Cincinnati professor of Classics.

4. Food types
The volcanic soil of the Campanian region created fertile lands, rich with several types of crops. This included: cabbages, onions, grapes, wheat and olives.
Food staples for the population consisted of bread, fish, beans, and vegetables as these ingredients were produced locally and could be easily accessed within or around city walls.
Vineyards thrived in the rich soils. The types of wine made and sold around the Campanian region can be identified by remains of wine bottles, called amphorea. Amphorea were often labelled to describe their contents and their origin.
The frescoe of Bacchaus and Mt. Vesuvius, found in Pompeii, illustrates the importance of wine to the two Roman towns.
The variety of meat, fruit, and vegetables give evidence to the theory of citizens in Pompeii and Herculaneum having healthy and nutritious diets.
Carbonized remains of several bread loafs show what an important staple bread was to the two towns. Excavated remains of the Bakery of Modestus in Pompeii show 81 carbonized loafs that were baking during the time of the eruption.
Bacchaus and Vesuvius

5. Evidence & sources for Food
An Oxford University archaeological team has developed a major research program to investigate aspects of environmental archaeology in Pompeii and Herculaneum. One of the topics being researched is Dietary Remains from Latrine Pits and Sewers Latrines. These were usually located in kitchens and were used for the disposal of both human and food waste. The pits and sewers contained a great amount of dietary items, including calcium-phosphate mineralised seeds, small bones and marine shell fragments. Professor Wilhelmina Jashekski, an archaeologist specialising in the gardens of Pompeii, discovered that many houses had spaces for the cultivation of figs, olives, cherries and other fruits and vegetables. Evidence for viticulture (grape growing) within Pompeii, and, hence, for the drinking of wine, came from her discovery of a vineyard within the walls - the Inn of Euxinus Artworks including frescoes and mosaics that feature foods such as fruit, fish, poultry, and game also provide information about diet at Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Food remains from a latrine pit
Inn of Euxinus