In the ruins of ancient Pompeii, time seems unusually still. Streets, houses and small shops remain frozen following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Among the many finds scattered throughout the site, among the most puzzling is a collection of ceramic urns built directly onto stone tables inside Roman taverns.
Archaeologists have studied them for decades, but their purpose has remained unclear. The urns actually exist, but their story has remained elusive. This uncertainty made it one of the quietest mysteries of daily Roman life.Now, new research using advanced scanning technology is starting to change how these things are understood. The answers are still incomplete, but the details that have been revealed are beginning to reshape longstanding assumptions.
The findings suggest that these jars may contain more information about Roman craftsmanship and daily trade than previously thought.
Pompeii’s tabernae and the secret of compact urns that have survived for nearly 2,000 years
Throughout Pompeii, archaeologists have identified more than 150 small tavern-style establishments known as tabernae. These were simple one-room shops that served food and drink to locals and travellers. Many of these spaces have ceramic vessels permanently mounted on the stone counters.
These jars vary in size and shape. Some are long and narrow, reaching nearly three feet in height. Others are shorter and more rounded.
They are not removable, and were clearly built as part of the structure itself rather than added on later.For years, researchers could only examine them visually. Opening them was never an option as it would destroy the ships and their archaeological context. As a result, their goal remained uncertain.
Scientists have debated whether they store food, liquids, or something entirely different. No single explanation has been confirmed.
What a 3D scan of Pompeii’s urns reveals about Roman craftsmanship
A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory used a non-invasive scanning technique to examine the jars. Rather than physically touching or removing them, the researchers used portable scanners to capture their internal structure. The team analyzed about 40 jars from 14 different pubs.
They then created detailed 3D models based on the scans. These models allowed them to study the internal shape, alignment, and structural consistency of each vessel.The results revealed that the jars were likely made using a slow-spinning pottery wheel. The process was not entirely industrial, but it was also not entirely handmade in the free sense. It appears to have been a controlled method that still allowed for small changes to be made during production.
How ancient potters built jars through multilayer techniques
From the analysis, it can be inferred that ancient potters used a step-by-step process in making these jars. They will make part of the bowl, stop, add new material, and continue the process. This resulted in small misalignments in the different parts of each jar. Some jars show high consistency with regard to their construction, while others do not. This means that there are many workshops or potters involved in making them.
In some cases, urns from different bars show identical shape and construction style. This indicates some type of training among the potters of the region. On the other hand, most other jars vary greatly in either shape or internal structure.
What were these jars used for?
Despite all the recent discoveries about how these vessels were made, their original purpose has not yet been determined. Scientists cannot determine exactly what was stored in them.
According to some scholars, the contents of the jars may be cooked foods, such as stew. This hypothesis is more likely than any other liquid because it was fixed inside the table and therefore could not be easily cleaned.However, there is no chemical evidence to prove the above hypothesis. There are other possible uses for jars that are still being discussed. They can be used to store semi-solid ingredients or local food items consumed in bars.
