POMPEII, ITALY - A snack bar has been excavated in Pompeii, giving fresh insight into life in the ancient city. Video and images released on December 26 shows the eatery – known as a thermopolium – of Regio V.

Massimo Osanna, the departing director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, said it marked the first time such an eatery has been excavated in its entirety. Part of the counter was partially unearthed in 2019, and excavators continued to dig through 2020, finding food residue and colourful frescoes.

The excavation revealed "exquisite scenes of still life, with depictions of animals which were likely butchered and sold here," according to an official statement. The images show two upside-down mallards and a rooster, as well as a dog on a leash.

Osanna said the findings would be further analysed in a laboratory, where the remains found in containers in the counter "are expected to yield exceptional data for informing an understanding of what was sold and what the diet was like."