Mysterious ‘Blue Room’ Unearthed in Ancient City of Pompeii May Have Been Used for Pagan Rituals [Study]

A mysterious blue room was discovered during an excavation in the ruins of Pompeii, and it may have significantly influenced the residents' lives there.

Blue Room for Pagan Rituals Unearthed in Pompeii Ruins

Archaeologists discovered a room painted in blue during their excavation in the ancient city of Pompeii. The color was uncommon among the remains of Pompeii.

The room's walls were a striking vivid blue, decorated with paintings of agricultural and pastoral scenes alongside feminine figures representing the four seasons. The scientists reasoned that since blue is only found in significant locations, the room was likely utilized for pagan rites and storing holy items.

The initiative is a component of an ongoing excavation operation that has revealed 13,000 rooms in 1,070 buildings that once stood in the Italian city before Mount Vesuvius blanketed them in volcanic ash in 79 A.D.

The most recent find came from archaeologists working on a second-floor excavation of a housing unit. They found a tunnel leading to Room 32, a rare blue room.

A translated version of the report stated that the area was reached through a vestibule that opened into a garden formerly home to lovely fruit trees and vines. This room and others like it were "designed for private religious rites," according to the report.

The four women portrayed on the walls each wear a flowery crown and hold something in one hand. While some are clothed in flowing dresses, others are bare-chested.

The blue walls also contained gold embellishments, which revealed hand-painted pavilions and motifs that had been preserved for thousands of years.

Researchers found three ornamental boxes tucked into the walls that probably contained devotional sculptures, oil lamps, and fifteen jugs still leaning against the wall.

Additionally, building supplies were discovered, including mounds of oyster shells that had probably been combined with cement and plaster.

The results indicated that before being covered by volcanic ash, the property was undergoing renovations.

However, in the 17th and 18th centuries, someone who most likely stole the statues in the wall boxes before could enter the room.

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Pompeii Disaster

National Geographic reported that Mount Vesuvius erupted in the summer of 79 A.D. It reached the town and spewed 20 kilometers of toxic fumes and smoke into the atmosphere.

Under a veil of ash, Pompeii and many of its 10,000 inhabitants quickly perished. Pompeii was virtually lost and undiscovered until it was rediscovered in 1748.

Excavations, which are still going on, have allowed scientists to pinpoint exactly what happened on that horrible day.

Visiting the remains of Pompeii is similar to going across time. Structures, artwork, and even the outlines of bodies were preserved as ash formed holes in the body's decomposition. Experts were able to fill in the details that might not have been maintained at many other Roman ruins thanks to all of it.

Scientists believe Pompeii was a prosperous town where affluent Romans went on holiday. To prevent people from slipping in the mud, well-paved streets included high walkways and stepping stones. There were also public baths where people could relax, gladiator fights, chariot races in an amphitheater, and performances in two theaters.