What did archaeologists find inside the sealed AD 79 wooden wardrobe in Pompeii's Regio IX?

During conservation and excavation work in Regio IX, Insula 10 of Pompeii, archaeologists opened a wooden domestic cabinet (armarium) sealed beneath volcanic pumice and ash since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Inside its shelves lay a child's crepundia necklace strung with more than 20 miniature bronze, glass, and bone charms (depicting the deities Bes and Mercury, tiny fists, and lunulae), a blown-glass perfume bottle (unguentarium), bronze cosmetic tweezers, an incense burner, a bronze lantern, lead trade weights, and a wooden box holding 38 bronze coins.

How did a crepundia necklace protect and identify Roman children?

In the Roman world, crepundia ('rattling things', from crepare, 'to rattle') were strings of miniature charms worn diagonally across a child's chest. Spiritually, figures of the household god Bes and lunar crescents (lunulae) warded off the evil eye (fascinum). Practically, the gentle metallic chime let parents hear where a toddler was moving inside a dark workshop, and if a child was ever lost, kidnapped, or displaced, the unique combination of 20+ charms functioned as an unmistakable token of family identity (monumenta).

Untouched for 2,000 Years: Archaeologists Open Sealed Pompeii Wardrobe Revealing Children's Amulets & Perfume

Regio IX Excavations • Sealed AD 79 Wooden Armarium • 20-Charm Crepundia Necklace, Perfume & 38 Coins

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Active Relic: 1. Sealed AD 79 Wooden Wardrobe (Armarium) State: Doors Open (65%) Locus: Upper Shelf: Crepundia & Glass Unguentarium

Drag to rotate the 3D artifact • Click buttons 1–4 below to switch between the 4 Pompeii relics!

🧩 Doors / Expansion 65%

🪵 1. Sealed AD 79 Wooden Wardrobe (Armarium)

AD 79 • Regio IX, Insula 10

Excavation ContextRegio IX Restoration

PreservationSealed Under Pumice & Ash

Primary MaterialCarbonized Wood & Bronze

Household ProfileMobile Merchant Family

Why This Discovery Stunned Historians: Uncovered during restoration work in Pompeii's Regio IX, this wooden cabinet remained sealed since the AD 79 Mount Vesuvius eruption—preserving a child's 20-charm protective necklace, glass perfume, and 38 coins.

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Frozen in Time: Unsealing a 2,000-Year-Old Pompeii Wardrobe Cabinet

While the monumental public baths and frescoed patrician villas of Pompeii have been studied since the 18th century, recent structural conservation across Regio IX, Insula 10 has yielded an extraordinarily intimate time capsule from the final hours of AD 79: an intact wooden domestic wardrobe (armarium) that remained sealed beneath volcanic lapilli and pyroclastic ash for nearly two millennia.

When micro-excavators carefully opened the cabinet compartments, they uncovered the everyday treasures of a middle-class merchant or artisan family who had locked their valuables inside hoping to return once the tremors subsided:

The 20-Charm Crepundia Necklace: A child's protective amulet chain strung with over twenty miniature pendants in bronze, glass paste, and carved bone—featuring the household protector god Bes, Mercury (patron of travelers and merchants), lunar crescents (lunulae), and tiny clenched fists.
Blown-Glass Perfume & Incense Rituals: A blue-green blown Roman glass unguentarium (perfume vial), bronze cosmetic tweezers (volsellae), a terracotta/bronze incense burner (thymiaterion), and a suspended bronze oil lantern.
38 Bronze Coins & Precision Trade Weights: A small wooden coffer holding 38 imperial bronze coins alongside calibrated lead balance weights—confirming the household engaged in active commercial weighing and trade.

The Dual Purpose of Roman Crepundia: Spiritual Shield & Acoustic Child Tracker

In Roman society, infant mortality was high, and young children wore crepundia (derived from the Latin verb crepare, meaning "to rattle, jingle, or clatter") from birth until they came of age. These rattling necklaces served three distinct functions in a busy Mediterranean port and market town like Pompeii:

Apotropaic Sound & Visual Magic: Romans believed the metallic jingle of bronze charms startled away malevolent spirits (lemures), while figures of the dwarf-deity Bes and lunar crescents deflected the envious "evil eye" (fascinum).
Acoustic Tracking for Working Parents: In a crowded domestic workshop or street stall, the soft rhythmic chime of the charms allowed parents to hear exactly where a toddler was crawling or playing.
Permanent Identity Tokens (Monumenta): In ancient Roman comedies by Plautus and Terence, displaced or separated children are recognized years later by their crepundia—because each family assembled a unique sequence of 20+ deity charms that acted as an unforgeable birth certificate.

Complete Inventory of the Sealed Regio IX Pompeii Wardrobe (AD 79)

3D Model Tab & Artifact Group	Material & Craftsmanship	Shelf Position in Armarium	Forensic & Social Interpretation
1. Wooden Armarium Cabinet	Carbonized Timber, Bone Hinges & Iron Lockplate	Exterior Structural Frame	Preserved in negative/carbonized relief by compact volcanic ash
2. Child's Crepundia Necklace	20+ Bronze, Glass & Bone Charms (Bes & Mercury)	Upper Jewellery Shelf	Acoustic rattle, apotropaic talisman & identity token for a young child
3. Glass Unguentarium & Burner	Aqua Blown Glass, Bronze Tweezers & Thymiaterion	Middle Grooming & Ritual Shelf	Held costly floral/myrrh unguents, grooming tools & domestic incense
4. 38 Bronze Coins & Lead Weights	38 Bronze Asses/Sestertii, Lead Weights & Key	Lower Locked Strongbox	Working capital and calibrated balance weights of a mobile merchant

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I switch between the 4 different 3D models in the viewer above?

Click any of the four buttons below the canvas—🪵 1. Wooden Wardrobe, 📿 2. Crepundia Amulets, 🧴 3. Perfume & Incense, or 🪙 4. 38 Bronze Coins. Each button loads a dedicated 3D model, and dragging the 🧩 Doors / Expansion slider opens the cabinet doors or separates the individual charms and coins for inspection.

Why did the family leave 38 bronze coins and their child's necklace behind?

During the initial pumice-fall phase of the AD 79 eruption, roofs began collapsing under the weight of volcanic stone, prompting families to flee carrying only light pouches or torches. Items stored inside locked interior wooden cabinets were left secured in the belief that the residents would return home the next day.

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