This picture provided on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, by the Pompeii Archaeological Park shows the wall of an ancient Pompeian house with a fresco depicting a table with food. The fresco was found in the atrium of a house in Insula 10 of Regio IX under excavation, to which a bakery was annexed, already partially explored between 1888 and 1891 and whose investigations were resumed last January. (Pompeii Archaeological Park via AP, ho)
A still-life fresco discovered recently in the Pompeii archaeological site looks like a pizza, but it's not, experts at the archaeological site said Tuesday.
They noted that key ingredients needed to make Italy's iconic dish — tomatoes and mozzarella — were not available when the fresco was painted some 2,000 years ago.
Tomatoes were only introduced to Europe from the Americas a few centuries ago, and some histories have it that the discovery of mozzarella led directly to the invention of pizza in nearby Naples in the 1700s.
The image is instead believed to be a focaccia covered with fruit, including pomegranate and possibly dates, finished with spices or a type of pesto, experts said. In the fresco, it is served on a silver plate and a wine chalice stands next to it.
The contrast of the frugal meal served in a luxurious setting, denoted by the silver tray, is not unlike modern-day pizza, “born as a poor-man’s dish in southern Italy, which has won over the world and is served even in starred restaurants," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological site.
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed in the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The sudden and deadly event left much of the structure intact, embalmed in volcanic ash, and the site is now a major archaeological project and tourist attraction.
The Coldiretti ag lobby immediately seized on the discovery of the fresco to promote pizza — invented as a quick meal for the working poor — as a national treasure. Today, pizza represents one-third of the food budget of foreign visitors and generates total annual revenues of 15 billion euros ($16.4 billion) in Italy.
The art of the Neapolitan pizzamaker was put on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2017, recognized for its four phases of dough preparation and for being baked exclusively in a wood oven at 485 degrees Celsius (905 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Jeff Zucker has resigned as CNN's president, writing in a memo he failed to disclose a romantic relationship with a colleague. Zucker admitted to the relationship, which he described as consensual, during the investigation into former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo's behavior. Seth Schachner, managing director of StratAmericas, joined Cheddar to discuss where does this abrupt resignation leaves the network.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Dr. Ashley Farmer, Historian, Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin & Author of "Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era", shines a spotlight on some of the women overlooked by history that had a profound influence on the American Civil Rights and Black Power Movements.
Katie Rainge-Briggs, Exhibition and Collections Manager, National Museum of African American Music, explores the deep influence of Black music and musicians on modern American Culture; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Beyond the Spotlight'.
Dr. Ashley Farmer, Historian, Associate Professor at University of Texas at Austin & Author of "Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era", joins Cheddar Reveals to shine a spotlight on some of the women overlooked by history that had a profound influence on the American Civil Rights and Black Power Movements.
Katie Rainge-Briggs, Exhibition and Collections Manager, National Museum of African American Music, joins Cheddar Reveals to explore the deep influence of Black music and musicians on modern American Culture.
Women's health company Organon will give its over 9,000 employees a paid day off on International Women's Day.
The move comes as the company aims to recognize the growing health inequities women have faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kevin Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Organon joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The pressure is on for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson - after his closest aides handed in their resignations this week.
It comes after a report found that 16 parties had taken place at Downing Street while Covid lockdown protocols were in place in the region. Ari Aramesh, Attorney & National Security/Foreign Policy Analyst joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
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Yumeka Rushing, Chief Strategy Officer at the NAACP, talks about the private sector's commitment toward racial equity and how the NAACP is attracting younger Americans to the organization's latest initiatives.
