A 2,000-year-old fast-food and drink counter, which was excavated last year in the streets of the ancient Roman city Pompeii, will open to the public this summer.
The Telegraph reported that the opening date is set for August 12 for the "thermopolium," which is Latin for "hot-drink counter."
Apre al pubblico dal 12 agosto il #Termopolio della Regio V, l’antica tavola calda di Pompei, portata in luce durante gli ultimi scavi in un’area della città antica mai prima indagata. pic.twitter.com/gPhWQAwkkV
— Pompeii Sites (@pompeii_sites) August 6, 2021
The counter and surrounding area was discovered in the archaeological park's Regio V site. It had once offered its Roman customers culinary treats including pork, fish, snails, and beef, traces of which were found at the site, Insider's previously Sophia Ankel reported.
Duck bone fragments were also found, as well as crushed fava beans, which were used to modify the taste of wine.
The counter, which is decorated with brightly colored frescos with deep circular jar holders, is the first one out of 80 to be found in what is considered to be a good condition, given its age.
"As well as bearing witness to daily life in Pompeii, the possibilities to analyze afforded by this thermopolium are exceptional because for the first time we have excavated a site in its entirety," said Massimo Osanna, director general at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, according to The Guardian.
Pompeii was entombed in ash and pumice when the nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79, killing between 2,000 and 15,000 people. Since its ruins were unearthed in the 16th century, archaeologists have dug up around two-thirds of the site.
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