Ancient slave room sheds light on Roman life

• Published date: 08 November 2021

The beds, made of wooden planks that could be adjusted according to the height of the person sleeping in them, were found in a cramped room that was once inhabited by slaves.

It offers a rare insight into the hard lives of the people who lived on the very lowest rung of ancient Roman society. The room contains a chamber pot and a cluster of eight amphorae, as well as three rudimentary beds — two for adults and a smaller one for a child.

“While two of them are about 1.7 metres long, one bed...