Thread by @pompeii_sites

Just as in Roman times, this time of year sees the harvest of grapes in the vineyards of #Pompeii for wine production. To celebrate we will take you from the ‘harvest to the hangover’ through the archaeological evidence.

A fresco from the House of Centenary shows how widespread grape growing was. The slopes of Vesuvius are covered in a lattice of wooden vine frames called ‘vitis compluviata’. Meanwhile, Bacchus (God of wine) in his grape suit pours a libation & his leopard laps up the stray drops

Once harvested, the grapes could be served to eat but most were pressed and the wine transported in amphorae. Pompeii storerooms are full of such amphorae. Some had a label – ‘titulus pictus’ – revealing their contents or recipient as in the case of Sextus Pompeius Amarantus.

Archaeological evidence suggests that the Autumn grape harvest had just taken place before the eruption in AD 79. The remnants of grapes from a recent wine pressing were found & some of the dolia—the large sunken terracotta storage jars—were supposedly full of wine.

The most enjoyable part of the harvest was the wine consumption.
Pliny the Elder wrote “the wines of Pompeii, they have arrived at their full perfection in ten years… they are found also to be productive of headache, which often lasts so long as the sixth hour of the next day”.

After a successful harvest the God Bacchus was thanked and offerings made to him to ensure a similar success the following year. Wine was frequently used in religious rituals as a libation. One Pompeian had a plaque embedded in his household shrine honouring LIBER (Bacchus).

For a fascinating insight into the discoveries and revelations of the archaeological excavation of one of the recently replanted vineyards in Pompeii, read here:

https://twitter.com/pompeii_sites/status/1298238645258850304?s=20