8 Household Items Every Family in Pompeii Owned Before Mount Vesuvius Erupted

The ashes of Mount Vesuvius concealed more than ruins; they protected the everyday lives, hopes, and stories of an ancient people for nearly 2,000 years.

Before Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, Pompeii earned a reputation as a trading port and a luxurious getaway for Roman elites. Several structures featured elaborate artwork, fountains, and distinguished interiors, complemented by the region’s lush crops, making it the perfect place to indulge in olives and wine by the coast.

Yet, it was very much an urban center shaped by the working class, with ordinary homes and families making do with the same everyday items. Social classes were strictly organized, as indicated by the variety of materials used in artifacts unearthed throughout the city. Pompeii accommodated over 12,000 residents, housing factories, bathhouses, shops, taverns, marketplaces, temples, and even an arena, all of which were entirely entombed within a mere 24 hours.

Explorers rediscovered the ancient settlement in 1748 and were amazed to find buildings, possessions, and whole skeletons still intact. Today, preserved remains and relics, existing as a window into the Roman Empire, line museum shelves and stand as a haunting reminder of how humans were, and still are, at the mercy of the Earth.

Let's dig up and examine eight household items that every family in Pompeii owned before Mount Vesuvius erupted.

1. Oil Lamps
2. Storage Jars
3. Mortars and Pestles
4. Pots, Pans, and Utensils
5. Bowls, Cups, and Plates
6. Shrines
7. Lock-and-Key Sets
8. Wooden Furnishings

Oil Lamps

Pompeians in AD 79 used oil-burning lamps to illuminate their homes at night. Intricate candelabra were fashioned to hold these lamps, some tall columns adorned with floral molding, others shorter and meant for tabletop use. 

While a few bronze candelabra, perfectly preserved in the ashes and pumice, were crafted for show, most were practical and common in homes and public spaces.

Storage Jars

Storage jars used in Pompeii at the time of the eruption were nothing like the uniform glass jars we use today. While some bottles and perfume jars were made of glass, the main storage containers were large clay pottery called "amphorae," molded with pointed bottoms that allowed them to stand upright. Many amphorae found in Pompeii feature ancient inscriptions indicating their original contents. 

One such item, excavated in 1941, was marked with writing describing it as a vessel used to transport grain; later repurposed to hold something else in the home where it was discovered. 

A few examples of this pottery can be found at the British Museum in London and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Mortars and Pestles

Archaeologists have uncovered mortars and pestles that tell stories not only of culinary practices, but of people trying to escape the eruption.

Marcello Mogetta, associate professor of Roman art and archaeology at the University of Missouri, told Popular Science that many Pompeians attempted to flee the ash by running toward the coast, which is why so many bodies were found along the same path. One man, likely in his 20s or 30s, was found carrying a lamp, coins, and a terracotta mortar, perhaps hoping to escape with his most indispensable possessions.

The practical use for a mortar and pestle was the same then as it is now: a natural way to grind spices and herbs into an emulsified paste to be included in a dish.

Pots, Pans, and Utensils

Bronze wasn’t just used for candelabra to hold oil lamps. The metal was also essential in producing coins, frying pans, bread pans, and other cooking utensils. Corianders with long handles and geometric designs were fashioned from bronze, doubling as wall decor in Pompeian households. 

Terracotta pots were set on hearths among charcoal and embers to cook meals, sometimes placed on iron stands or hung by chains above the fire to warm stews and boil food. Middle-class Pompeians even had baking ovens, similar in size and shape to modern pizza ovens. 

Utensils like spoons and knives (their handles constructed with wood and bone) were skillfully made from bronze or brass, and in wealthier households (like the House of Menander), from silver.

Bowls, Cups, and Plates

Bowls, cups, and plates were typically shaped from clay, sets known as “Samian ware,” and terracotta. These tableware items were staples in Pompeian homes, occasionally accompanied by blown-glass pitchers.

When dining at food stalls or “thermopolia” (similar to modern-day food trucks), Pompeians were served hot, quick meals in terracotta jars from street vendors. One such stall, discovered in pristine condition in the Pompeii Archaeological Park in 2020, was ornately decorated and illustrated with paintings of animals. Excavators also found ceramic bowls, wine flasks, and decorated bronze drinking bowls called "patera" at these stalls.

So, what food and drink would Pompeians be enjoying in AD 79? NPR says: duck, goat, pig, fish, and snails, perhaps washed down with a glass of the region's finest fermented grapes depending on your wealth status.

Shrines

Shrines, or “lararia,” were widespread throughout Pompeii in AD 79.

These spiritual sites appeared in kitchens and gardens, as well as public spaces, such as atriums or temples, where incense was burned, animals were offered, and prayers were made to Roman gods. Shrines ranged from simple wall niches to entire rooms dedicated to household worship, where residents left offerings like figs, nuts, and eggs (for fertility) and honored ancestors with busts placed near the shrines.

Like many spaces in ancient Pompeii, the shrines were elaborately painted, featuring Roman gods, wild animals, snakes, and occasional nods to Egyptian deities. These elements vividly highlighted Pompeian fascination with Egyptian culture, as noted by Smithsonian Magazine.

Lock-and-Key Sets

Just as they cooked in kitchens, worshiped in temples, and enjoyed street food, much as we do today, Pompeians in AD 79 also locked their doors.

These locks, which began as wood and later transitioned to metal, were known as "pin tumbler locks" with steel springs. Slide keys, commonly found among the ruins, were used to open doors, secure boxes containing valuables like jewelry, and even lock criminals in shackles. 

Wooden Furnishings

Wood, like bronze, bone, and terracotta, was another material commonly used in Pompeii the year Vesuvius erupted. Wooden furniture, tables, cabinets, and stands were retrieved from what was presumed to be the hallways and kitchens of various homes. 

Cupboards were built from wooden planks, with shelves, chests, and beams also crafted from wood to support structures. In 2021, excavators at the Pompeii Archaeological Park documented several wooden furnishings, some believed to have been used for leisure. These items were cast and examined in detail, providing further clues about everyday life Southern Italy in AD 79.

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