Resin analysis of incense in Pompeii links Roman city to African trade

Resin analysis of incense in Pompeii links Roman city to African trade

An analysis of incense burners found in Pompeii suggested new potential trade links between the ancient Roman city and sub-Saharan Africa. Archeologists first discovered the remnants of the burnt offerings at a household shrine in the 1980s. Now, for the first time, researchers have published their analysis of the residue inside: They identified a type of resin native to tropical regions in Africa and Asia that points to Pompeii’s “links to civi…