A surprising archaeological exploration in Novae, Bulgaria, has located a archaic “refrigerator” which was used to store food and other items in the Roman era.
According to the official statement, the place belonged to the Roman Empire and was considered an important military fortress for supplying water and food. In fact, the region is already known for housing other interesting structures of ancient civilizations.
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Amid the ruins of Novae, archaeologists from the University of Warsaw were studying an ancient military camp of Roman troops.
For five weeks, the team led by Professor Piotr Dyczek analyzed and measured the archaeological complex.
While searching the area, researchers noticed that the site had a structure made up of pottery and lead pipes connected to another pottery compartment in the ground.
For Piotr Dyczek, this space is a model of an archaic refrigerator that stored the troops' food and drinks. The space was stocked with containers for drinking wine, bowls and animal bones.
“This will allow us to recreate the last meal,” Dyczek said of the impressive discovery of Roman-era essentials.
According to him, this type of discovery is extremely rare, as, normally, such ancient constructions do not survive building reconstructions.
(Image: Krzysztof Narloch/Reproduction)
Another Roman “refrigerator” was found in 2022
In October 2022, another similar compartment was revealed in Novae. This “fridge” was stocked and held other unusual items, such as plates and animal bones with traces of the meat being roasted for military troops.
In addition to the “refrigerators”, the researchers found an ancient ceramic oven from the 4th century, a silver rat-shaped pendant and several ceramic vases.
The set of vases has black details on the surface that can determine the historical chronology of the region.
(Image: Krzysztof Narloch/Reproduction)
For researchers, the discoveries of the rudimentary refrigeration system and artifacts offer important data to determine the habits and structures of the Roman era in the region.
They demonstrate how people developed ingenious underground spaces to preserve food and ensure survival.