US Edition2,000-Year-Old Pompeii Ash Reveals Romans Burned Incense and Wine From Distant Lands
Analysis of incense burners reveals imported resins from Asia and Africa and confirms wine mixed with frankincense was burned in Roman rituals to invoke gods.
- On Monday, researchers published a study in the journal Antiquity confirming that residents of ancient Pompeii burned exotic resins and wine in household rituals, revealing trade connections stretching to Africa and Asia.
- The catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE preserved the ash residues, enabling analysis of the praefatio, a sacrificial act vaporizing wine and incense to invite protection from Roman gods like Jupiter and Janus.
- Study author Dr. Johannes Eber of the University of Zurich noted the resin is "not proper frankincense" but elemi, a substance from a tropical tree found in India or the African rainforest.
- "Preserved ashes and traces of fragrant resins from a domestic shrine near Pompeii provides tangible proof," Eber added, marking the first archaeological verification of such ritual pairings in the Roman Empire.
- Researchers cautioned that contamination could impact results, as sediment control samples were not preserved; one burner discovered about 40 years ago creates a complex chain of custody complicating final confirmation.
12 Articles
12 Articles
2,000-Year-Old Pompeii Ash Reveals Romans Burned Incense and Wine From Distant Lands
Learn how researchers decoded 2,000-year-old ash from Pompeii incense burners to reveal imported resins from Africa and Asia, wine-based offerings, and how global trade shaped everyday Roman rituals.
Wine and Frankincense Identified in Roman Incense Burner - Archaeology Magazine
Incense burner decorated with appliqués of women ZURICH, SWITZERLAND—According to a Gizmodo report, analysis of residue samples taken from an incense burner previously unearthed near Pompeii has identified an offering used in ancient Rome. “We’ve long known from ancient writers that the Romans burnt frankincense in their sacrifices,” said Johannes Eber of the University of Zurich. “Preserved ashes and traces of fragrant resins from a domestic sh…
"Without Pompeii, our knowledge of the Roman world would be less rich," said the park's director, Gabriel Zuhtrigel.
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