Excavations in Pompeii have uncovered a collection of artifacts preserved within a wooden wardrobe in a home located on Via dell’Abbondanza, one of the ancient Roman city’s major thoroughfares. The sealed furniture contained personal objects, cosmetic implements, and household items that offer insight into daily routines before Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.
Among the most significant discoveries was a crepundia, a type of necklace traditionally given to children featuring more than 20 small charms made from various materials and decorated with depictions of gods including Bes and Mercury. According to Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological park, such necklaces served both practical and sentimental purposes—the charms would produce noise to help parents monitor their children’s whereabouts while also serving as identification aids. The ornament also functioned as a connection to absent parents, reflecting the mobile nature of ancient Mediterranean society where families frequently relocated.
The wardrobe also contained 38 bronze coins, cooking implements, a wooden box with lead weights, and a small glass perfume bottle alongside tweezers and an incense burner. The presence of coins and weights suggests the home’s occupant was engaged in trade or commerce. The apparent abandonment of valuable objects and currency could indicate residents fled hastily during the volcanic event. Additional discoveries included skeletal remains of two mice found within an amphora in a storage area.
The home was previously linked to an individual named Cornelius Maximus based on inscriptions. While its exterior facade was first excavated in 1912, detailed exploration of interior rooms is occurring as part of an ongoing restoration initiative. Nearby at the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii’s suburbs, archaeologists are continuing systematic excavation of servants’ quarters to document the daily lives and economic activities of lower-status inhabitants who comprised the majority of residents at that location.
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