Revealing Pompeii's Dark Secrets: Unearthing Ancient Roman Slavery and a Bakery 'Prison'

Archaeologists have uncovered a bakery in the ruins of Pompeii that served as a shocking example of Roman slavery. The cramped bakery, part of a home in the Regio IX area, contained small windows barred with iron and markings used to coordinate the movement of enslaved workers. The discovery sheds light on the forgotten daily lives of Pompeii's enslaved population, who made up the majority of the city's inhabitants and played a crucial role in its economy and culture. The bakery's isolation and restrictive layout highlight the brutal nature of ancient slavery. The findings add to previous discoveries of rooms inhabited by enslaved people and a tomb of a former enslaved person at Pompeii. An exhibition dedicated to the enslaved people of Pompeii will open in December.