Pompeii wardrobe found untouched since 79 CE holds a woman's keepsakes, coins, and charms
Archaeologists discovered a sealed wardrobe in the house of Cornelius Maximus containing a woman's personal belongings untouched since the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The cupboard held 38 bronze coins, a beauty kit with cosmetics and a perfume bottle, and a necklace featuring at least 24 childhood amulets known as crepundia. Two mouse skeletons were also found inside. The wooden structure rotted over two millennia, but the surrounding ash hardened to preserve the shape of the cabinet and the placement of the artifacts.
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- ✓ The wardrobe was found in the house of Cornelius Maximus.
- ✓ The cupboard contained 38 bronze coins.
- ✓ A necklace with at least 24 childhood amulets called crepundia was recovered.
- ✓ The wardrobe contained cosmetics, a perfume bottle, and jewelry.
What changed
Excavation of a household cupboard in the house of Cornelius Maximus revealed specific counts of coins and childhood amulets.
Live updates
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Archaeologists uncover woman's wardrobe in Pompeii house
Archaeologists discovered a sealed wardrobe in the house of Cornelius Maximus containing a woman's personal belongings untouched since the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The cupboard held 38 bronze coins, a beauty kit with cosmetics and a perfume bottle, and a necklace featuring at least 24 childhood amulets known as crepundia. Two mouse skeletons were also found inside. The wooden structure rotted over two millennia, but the surrounding ash hardened to preserve the shape of the cabinet and the placement of the artifacts.
Why it matters
Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. These finds provide insight into the daily lives and personal possessions of women in the Roman city. The preservation method mirrors the process used to create the city's famous plaster body casts.
What is confirmed
- The wardrobe was found in the house of Cornelius Maximus.
- The cupboard contained 38 bronze coins.
- A necklace with at least 24 childhood amulets called crepundia was recovered.
- The wardrobe contained cosmetics, a perfume bottle, and jewelry.
- Two mouse skeletons were found inside the wardrobe.
- The wardrobe remained sealed from the eruption in AD 79 until its recent discovery.
What to watch next
- Analysis of the chemical composition of the perfume and cosmetics
- Identification of the woman who owned the wardrobe
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (13)
- Reuters — Pompeii cupboard opens window onto life before Vesuvius erupted
- BBC Science Focus Magazine — 'Thought to be lost forever': After 2,000 years, a library buried by Pompeii’s eruption is finally revealing its secrets
- CBS News — Ancient cosmetics, coins, mouse skeletons found in Pompeii home shed light on life before deadly eruption
- Archaeology News Online Magazine — Pompeii wardrobe found untouched since 79 CE holds a woman's keepsakes, coins, and two mice
- The Guardian — Perfume bottle and child’s necklace among treasures found in Pompeii wardrobe
- Archaeology Magazine — News - Household Cupboard Excavated in Pompeii
- www.cbsnews.com — Ancient cosmetics, coins, mouse skeletons found in Pompeii ...
- www.euronews.com — In Pompeii, a woman's wardrobe resurfaces with beauty items ...
- www.labrujulaverde.com — A Pompeii Wardrobe Left Behind in the Eruption Held a ...
- www.ancient-origins.net — A Sealed Cupboard in Pompeii Held Childhood Amulets and 38 Coins That Were Never Collected
- www.theguardian.com — Perfume bottle and child’s necklace among treasures found in ...
- www.istitutoimpariamo.it — Inside the Untouched 79 CE Pompeii Wardrobe: Secret Keepsakes ...
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