Pompei's Regio IX Sacrarium Reveals Arcadian Frescoes of Agriculture and Pastoral Life

Excavations in the Insula 10 of Regio IX at the Pompeii Archaeological Park have uncovered a sacrarium (shrine) with rare blue-background frescoes depicting female figures representing the seasons (Horae) and allegories of agriculture and pastoralism. The paintings, executed in the Fourth Style, show an aratos for agriculture and a pedum (shepherd's crook) for pastoralism, reflecting an idealized, nostalgic view of rural life by Pompeii's urban elite who had lost direct contact with farming. The discovery was featured in Alberto Angela's special episode of "Meraviglie" on Rai Uno on May 27, 2024, using a sequence-shot technique. The small room (8 square meters) also contained fifteen transport amphorae, a bronze set of two jugs and two lamps, and construction debris including oyster shells used for mortar. The sacrarium was part of a large domus that also included a bath complex still under excavation. Previous finds in the same insula include a black-walled hall with Trojan War mythological subjects, a bakery-prison, and children's charcoal drawings. The site opened a new elevated walkway at the end of May to view the Insula of the Chaste Lovers and ongoing research.