A new household shrine has been unearthed in the house at IX. 10. 1 at Pompeii during recent excavations The shrine was found in the same house where earlier in the year three skeletons and a well-preserved fresco depicting an archaic pizza were discovered. The shrine was located in a rear room believed to have been used as a dining room. Interestingly, the walls of the room hosted electoral advertising, thought to help promote the host's political affiliations to dining guests.
The shrine possessed a masonry rectangular altar with a simple moulded capital accompanied by wall paintings and stucco decorations. During excavation, remnants of the last offering made on the altar were found still in situ on top of the altar. The remains included figs, dates, olives, pine cones, pine nuts, egg shells, mammal bone, and vertebrae remains, which had been burnt on the altar.
The decoration of the shrine itself has many of the typical styles and motifs present in other Pompeian domestic cult spaces. On the left, there is a red and yellow crested serpent among a bush with a colourful garland with taeniae (ribbons) painted above. On the right side, there is a togate figure, the Genius, making an offering over a burning altar by pouring wine from a patera. The Genius is veiled and holding a golden cornucopia. The Genius is framed by a red frame which is almost like a temple structure. Interestingly, behind this, there are the remnants of an earlier version of the cult painting, which also appears to depict the Genius standing in a temple structure. This suggests a change in ownership of the house at some point reflected by the need for the new Genius to replace the old.
In addition to the painted scene, two yellow three-dimensional plaster serpents were situated in a red panel above the shrine. The serpents were pictured within painted green foliage.
The official press release from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii can be found (in English) here, and their journal article (in Italian) here.
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