Archaeologists working near the Villa dei Misteri, or Villa of Mysteries, in Pompeii have uncovered a stone bench believed to have served as a waiting area for patrons hoping to meet the villa’s owner. The discovery was announced by the Pompeii Archaeological Park in a recent news release and Facebook post.
The Villa dei Misteri is known for its detailed frescoes and large kitchens, features that reflect the luxury enjoyed by some residents of ancient Pompeii. The site has been a focus of archaeological work since it was first explored in 1909 and 1910, with more recent projects expanding into surrounding areas.
The newly discovered bench was found along a public road at the entrance to the villa. According to officials, it likely accommodated people who were not guests or art enthusiasts but rather individuals waiting for an audience with the master of the house. In Roman society, such meetings—called “salutatio”—allowed those lower on the social ladder to request favors or assistance from wealthy patrons.
“Roman masters, like the one who would have owned the villa, would receive clients in the morning in a meeting called a ‘salutatio,’” officials said. “People lower in the societal rankings could come and see the master and ask for favors, legal assistance, loans or offer political support.”
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of Pompeii Archaeological Park, explained that visitors might not know when—or if—they would be received: “It was possible the master had stayed up late the night before and was sleeping in, or he may have just decided on other things to do for the day.” As a result, many spent long periods waiting outside on benches like this one.
On this particular bench, archaeologists found graffiti believed to have been made by those passing time while they waited. “Someone might have written on the wall with charcoal or even carved into the stone with a sharp object as a way of entertaining themselves,” officials said. One section included what appears to be a date without a year and possibly someone’s name.
Zuchtriegel described how these benches represent another side of life at Pompeii: “It is two sides of a coin… where some of [the] cities most elaborate artwork is just on the other side of the entrance… reserved for the elite… while [the] bench graffiti comes from those unable to enter.”
Similar benches have been identified outside other prominent homes (domus) in Pompeii. Officials compared them to waiting rooms outside modern doctors’ offices; having more benches—and more people waiting—signaled greater importance for that household’s master within Roman society.
Additional finds during ongoing excavations include what is thought to be part of servants’ quarters still buried under ash from Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in 79 A.D., as well as rooms decorated with different styles and colors than previously documented at this site. Researchers noted that layers of pumice rock sealed much of this area after lava flows during that historic disaster.
Pompeii sits southeast of present-day Naples in west-central Italy.
