Archaeologists recently discovered this lovely fresco in the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Is that a pizza on the left? The Italian agriculture lobby Coldiretti would like us to believe that's the case and reportedly used the 2,000-year-old fresco as a promotion opportunity. Unfortunately though, researchers say it's definitely not a pizza.
From the Associated Press/NPR:
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.
(Thanks, Chanté McCormick!)
