Pompeii: How archaeologists found ‘ketchup of Roman Empire’ buried for 2,000 years

Archaeologist discovered the Ketchup of the Roman Empire (Image: CHANNEL 5)

ARCHAEOLOGISTS discovered “the ketchup of the Roman world” buried in Pompeii for almost 2,000 years in what has been dubbed “an incredible discovery” during a documentary.

Mount Vesuvius, a stratovolcano in modern-day Italy, erupted in 79AD in one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions ever, sprawling a cloud of superheated tephra and gases to a height of 21 miles. This natural disaster ejected molten rock, pulverised pumice and hot ash at 1.5 million tonnes per second, obliterating Roman settlements and burying thousands under the burning rubble. However, the horrific event also covered the city in a blanket of thick material, leaving the opportunity for discovery to this day.

One such discovery was made in 2014, thanks to the work of archaeologists in Italy, that led to the reproduction of a recipe for a 2,000-year-old sauce called Garum.

Channel 5’s 2019 series “Ancient Mysteries" explained how the discovery was made.

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