Personal treasures found in Pompeii wardrobe reveal lives of ordinary Romans

Archaeologists in Pompeii have uncovered a wooden wardrobe sealed for almost 2,000 years, containing a collection of personal objects that offer a rare glimpse into the lives of ordinary people before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The wardrobe was found in a room of a house on Via dell’Abbondanza, one of the busiest streets in the ancient city. Among the items were makeup tools, a small glass perfume bottle, an incense burner, a bronze lantern, and 38 bronze coins.

The most intriguing relic is a child’s necklace known as a crepundia, adorned with more than 20 small charms made of various materials, including depictions of deities such as Bes and Mercury. Traditionally worn by children, the charms would rattle to help parents keep track of their offspring, and could also help identify them if lost. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological park, explained the significance of such objects.

A reminder of family in a mobile society

“A crepundia had a very special function,” Zuchtriegel said. “It was a reminder of their parents who perhaps lived far away … it was very typical of this society of people, who were often displaced. Many people moved around in the Mediterranean area and tended to carry personal objects with them.” The wardrobe also contained cooking pots and a wooden box with lead weights, suggesting someone in the home was a tradesperson. The presence of money and personal items left behind could indicate that the owners fled the eruption at short notice.

The house had previously been associated with a person called Cornelius Maximus due to inscriptions that are no longer visible. Its facade was first excavated in 1912, but experts are only now delving into some rooms as part of a wider restoration project. In the storage area, fragmented skeletons of two mice were found inside an amphora. Meanwhile, excavations are also under way at the Villa of the Mysteries in the suburbs of Pompeii, which first came to light in the early 20th century.

Zuchtriegel noted that the villa has never been completely excavated, and the current work focuses on the servants’ quarters rather than the owners’ lavish areas. “What’s interesting is that we’re not excavating in the part where the owners lived and where great frescoes are to be expected, but in the servants’ quarters,” he said. The aim is to gain more insight into the daily life and economy of those in the shadow of history, as the majority of the villa’s inhabitants were servants. Recent discoveries in Pompeii include a large thermal bath complex in a wealthy district in 2025 and a cramped bakery in 2023 where enslaved people were believed to have been imprisoned.