Archaeologists uncover ancient fresco depicting possible pizza ancestor in Pompeii.
Archaeologists in Pompeii have discovered a 2,000-year-old fresco depicting a flatbread that may be a precursor to the Italian pizza. The painting lacks the classic pizza ingredients, but may have been eaten with fruits or dressed with spices and pesto sauce. The fresco was found in the hall of a house next to a bakery during recent digs at the site in southern Italy. The discovery was made during new excavations of Regio IX in the centre of Pompeii, nearly 2,000 years on from the volcanic eruption which engulfed the city.