Excavators found the bronze cart and pond almost intact, with remnants of wood and the imprint of ropes, according to an announcement Saturday from Pompeii Archaeological Park.
“It’s an extraordinary discovery to advance knowledge of the ancient world,” said the park’s outgoing director, Massimo Osanna. “Vehicles used for transport in the past have been found in Pompeii, such as the one at Menander’s house or the two cars discovered at Villa Arianna, but nothing like the Civita Giuliana car.”
The village, located north of Pompeii, in Civita Giuliana, had a stable where the remains of three horses were found in 2018, including one that was taken advantage of. The cart was found inside a double-level porch that probably overlooked a courtyard, not far from the stable.
The Pompeii Archaeological Park described the find as “extraordinary” and that it “adds an extra element to the history of the house”.
The cart is decorated with bronze sheets and red and black wood panels. Behind it are several stories engraved in bronze medallions and tin. The roof of the villa is of deciduous English oak, a material frequently used in Roman times, and was carefully removed to allow further research.
Excavators first discovered that part of the artifact emerged from the volcanic material on January 7th. Weeks later the entire car was revealed, miraculously intact despite the collapse of parts of the room that housed it.
Engraved bronze and tin medallions of the chariot, still covered with volcanic material
Luigi Spina / Pompeii Archaeological Park
“Pompeii continues to amaze with all its discoveries and will continue to do so for many years, with twenty hectares still to be excavated,” Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said in a press video Friday in Pompeii. “But, above all, it shows that valorisation can take place and that tourists can be attracted to the whole world, at the same time as research, education and studies are carried out …”
The park believes the cart had a ceremonial use, such as accompanying parties, parades and processions. This type of cart had never been found in Italy before, but resembled finds from Thrace in northern Greece, park officials said.
The ancient city of Pompeii is one of the main tourist attractions in Italy and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Much of the Greco-Roman city is still covered in rubble since Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered the city with ash and pumice stone nearly 2,000 years ago. And experts continue to uncover nuances that give clues as to what life was like when the city was in operation.
The looters have robbed the village several times in recent years. The Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor’s Office, the officers of the Naples Carabinieri Headquarters for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the investigators of the Torre Annunziata Carabinieri Group Command have been helping to protect the car since January.
The current excavation aims to protect one of the most significant villas in the region from looters who have developed a complex system of more than 80 tunnels to a depth of more than 5 meters, looting and partially destroying some areas of the site.
“The fight against the looting of archaeological sites, both inside and outside the urban area of ancient Pompeii, is certainly one of the main objectives of the Office,” said Torre Annunziata Attorney General Nunzio Fragliasso, in a press video Friday in Pompeii.