2,000-Year-Old Laundrette Amongst First Finds From Ambitious New Pompeii Dig

Archeologists have unearthed the remains of an ancient Roman laundrette at Italy’s Pompeii archeological park. It is one of the first finds of an ambitious new excavation project in an as-yet unexplored area of the ruined city.

The dig site is vast, equating to almost an entire block of the ancient city buried in 79 AD by volcanic ash. The area, known as Insula 10 in Regio IX, was used for farming before becoming part of the archeological park in 2015.

The excavations are part of a wider project to explore areas of the site still buried under pumice and ash – around a third of the ancient settlement – and secure the boundaries where the excavated zones meet those hitherto unexplored.

“Excavating in Pompeii is a huge responsibility,” says Pompeii director Gabriel Zuchtriegel.

“Excavation is a non-repeatable operation, what is excavated is forever. Therefore, we need to document and analyze each find […] and immediately think about how to secure and restore what we find.”

A 2,000-year-old laundry shop

The park authorities announced the first findings last week, including the upper floors of several buildings.

One structure was identified as a house converted into a fullonica, or a laundry shop, where locals would have paid to have their clothes washed.

The Pompeian process of doing laundry is a little unsavory to modern ears. Ancient Romans used human and animal urine to clean their clothes. The urine was collected in pots set out along the city’s streets. It was then mixed with water in large vats inside the laundry shop.

Clothes would be soaked in these vats, where the ammonia from the urine would break down dirt and grease stains. The garments would then be trodden upon by the workers, rinsed and hung up to dry.

Extendable beds and ancient snack bars

The findings follow on from recent excavation work at Pompeii that has revealed a host of ancient treasures.

In 2021, investigations into a room used by slaves uncovered extendable wooden beds and the imprints of blankets and pillows.

In 2020, archeologists unearthed a thermopolium – an Ancient Roman equivalent of a fast food joint – whose counter is decorated with vibrant images of animals you might have found stewing in the food pots above.