Egyptian vase found in Pompeii

[guy]

 

 

 

 

An Egyptian vase was discovered in Pompeii at a thermopolium (outdoor food stall) in section Regio V. This vase illustrates the widespread trade network within the Roman Empire around AD 79, the period when Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city. The vase is described as faience or glass‑paste, heavily decorated, with iconography focusing on hunting themes rather than divine imagery.

 

 

The vase found in Pompeii is an Egyptian situla (vase) decorated with Alexandrian hunting scenes, discovered in the kitchen of a street food shop (thermopolium) in Regio V. It highlights everyday cultural exchange between Egypt and Rome.

Key Background

Discovery context: Excavated between 2023 and 2025 within the thermopolium of Regio V, Pompeii’s “street food” area. These shops served hot meals and drinks to locals, functioning like ancient fast-food restaurants.

Object type: A situla (bucket‑shaped vase), richly decorated with Egyptian‑style hunting scenes produced in Alexandria.

Function: Likely used as a food container in the kitchen, blending utilitarian purpose with exotic decoration.

Cultural significance: Shows how tastes and religious ideas spread across the Roman Empire, where Egyptian cults and motifs were adopted not only by elites but also by everyday shopkeepers.

Archaeological insight: Found alongside amphorae, flasks, and food traces, emphasizing the thermopolium’s function as a lively center of everyday life.

Director’s commentary: Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of Pompeii excavations, highlighted that such finds demonstrate “creativity in furnishing sacred and profane spaces” and the spread of Eastern cultural influences at lower-middle social levels.

Why It Matters

Cross-cultural exchange: The vase serves as concrete evidence of trade and artistic influence between Alexandria and Pompeii.

Social reach: The find underscores that globalization in antiquity was not limited to elites—everyday tavern keepers and diners saw Egyptian imagery regularly.

Urban archaeology: The Thermopolium excavations show how food, commerce, and religion connected in Pompeii’s streetscape.

Broader Context

Egyptian artifacts in Pompeii are common, but this vase is remarkable because it was discovered in a working kitchen, not a temple or an elite villa. It blends the sacred and the everyday, illustrating how exotic art influenced daily Roman life. Similar finds include Isis cult objects in Pompeii’s temples and Egyptian motifs in domestic frescoes, but this practical vase broadens our understanding of cultural exchange.

 

An excellent video on the finding:

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/11/07/precious-antique-egyptian-vase-found-in-pompeii-street-food-area

 

 

A previous thread on the thermopolium excavated at Regio V section of Pompeii:
 

 

Edited November 14, 2025 by guy