A funerary relief from a monumental tomb in the necropolis of Porta Sarno
Life-size depiction of a couple: a man and a woman
The restoration currently underway will be on display at the exhibition
“Essere donna nell’antica Pompei” (Being a woman in ancient Pompeii) which will open on 16 April 2025
A funerary relief showing the almost life-size figures of a couple – a man and a woman – from a tomb in the necropolis of Porta Sarno has been discovered. It came to light during an excavation as part of the research project “Investigating the Archaeology of Death in Pompeii” being carried out by the Universitat de València in conjunction with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (scientific director: Prof. Llorenç Alapont).
The two sculptures, carved in high relief, have been transferred to the Palestra Grande of the excavations of Pompeii to begin restoration work and will be the outstanding exhibits of the exhibition “Essere donna nell’antica Pompei” (Being a woman in ancient Pompeii) which will open on 16 April. Visitors will be able to observe the delicate procedures involved in the restoration process which will be carried out during the exhibition.
The area, which has been explored since July 2024, corresponds to a zone excavated during the 1990s for the construction of the double track of the Circumvesuviana railway.
The excavations undertaken in 1998 had already revealed the presence of over 50 cremation burials, marked by stelae and a monumental funerary arch. The recent explorations have brought to light a monumental tomb consisting of a large wall with various niches surmounted by relief figures of a man and a woman, possibly a married couple.
The symbolism of the carved accessories of the woman may indicate that she was a priestess of Ceres. The quality of the carving in the sculptures and their archaic features suggest that they date to the late Republican period.
“This campaign is a precious opportunity to extend research and enhance the area outside the city walls of Pompeii”, emphasised Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the Park director. “Thanks to the collaboration with the University of Valencia, which also led to the discovery a few years ago of the tomb of Marcus Venerius Secundio in the same area, it has been possible to work on a multi-disciplinary project involving a range of professionals including archaeologists, architects, restorers and anthropologists.”
Further details and analysis related to the working hypotheses can be found in the article edited by Llorenç Alapont et al, published today in the E-Journal of the excavations of Pompeii https://pompeiisites.org/e-journal-degli-scavi-di-pompei/
Photo Alfio Giannotti
