New Pompeii finds highlight middle-class life in doomed city

ROME (AP) — The latest batch of discoveries in Pompeii are enriching knowledge about middle-class households in the ancient Roman city that was destroyed in a volcanic eruption. The director of the archaeological site in Italy said Saturday that excavations of rooms in a home first unearthed in 2018 have revealed the domestic environment of ordinary citizens before Pompeii was buried in volcanic debris in 79 A.D. He says an exquisitely decorated courtyard and modestly furnished interior rooms suggest the occupants were trying to climb the social ladder. Among the new finds are a trunk with objects inside, three-legged accent tables and a closet that resembles a modern-day wardrobe. Early excavations at Pompeii mainly highlighted upper-class villas.