Researchers were able to pick up faint traces of graffiti, love notes, and more along a stretch of wall in Pompeii.
Courtesy of the Archaeological Park of PompeiiThe new study revealed the faint traces of graffiti like this, which depicts a bout between two gladiators.
There are many compelling things about Pompeii, the doomed city that was destroyed in 79 C.E. by Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii’s ruins are filled with chipped mosaics, the husks of former homes, and the ash-preserved bodies of the dead. But one of the most fascinating parts of the sprawling city ruins is the snippets of graffiti left by its residents. And scientists have just succeeded in exposing even more of these lost messages.
Using advanced imaging technology, experts have captured hundreds of pieces of graffiti, dozens of which were previously invisible to the naked eye. Their project has thus offered an exciting new look at the people of Pompeii, who carved hopes, dreams, interests, and love affairs into the city’s walls.
Using Photography To Find New Graffiti In Pompeii
According to a study published in Pompeii’s e-journal, researchers focused their study on a 90-foot stretch of wall that runs through Pompeii’s theater district (corridoio teatri). Over the centuries, this wall has been one of the best places to study graffiti in Pompeii. So, researchers decided to apply new technology to the surface of the wall and see what they could find.
Archaeological Park of PompeiiThe wall in Pompeii’s theater district (corridoio teatri) where the study took place.
The researchers combined a computational photography method known as Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) technology — which examines an object under multiple lighting angles — with photogrammetry and epigraphic metadata. And, after conducting two studies at the wall in 2022 and 2025, they documented 300 pieces of graffiti, 79 of which had never been seen before.
These included the faint depiction of two gladiators who seem to be wearing helmets and brandishing swords, as well as a trace of a love note. In the latter, researchers identified text that reads: Erato amat… or, “Erato (a woman’s name in ancient Rome) loves…”
Archaeological Park of PompeiiOne of the 79 new graffiti inscriptions uncovered during the project was this partial one, which reads: “Erato loves…”
Indeed, the project — dubbed “Bruits de couloir,” meaning “corridor rumors” or “corridor whispers” — has given a new voice to Pompeii’s citizens of long ago. This latest discovery of graffiti in Pompeii adds to a growing chorus, and experts are hopeful that they’ll be able to uncover even more.
The Search For Graffiti In Pompeii
Most know the story of Pompeii well. In 79 C.E., the city was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, a natural disaster that also preserved much of the city (and the bodies of its unfortunate citizens) under a layer of ash. Since excavations of the site began in earnest in the 19th century, archaeologists have made incredible finds, including elaborate frescoes, opulent homes, and classic Roman amenities, like a thermal spa.
But one of the most astounding finds is Pompeii’s graffiti — messages written by its inhabitants long ago, preserved over the past 2,000 years. Along the stretch of wall that researchers studied in Pompeii’s theater district, previously documented messages say things like: “I’m in a hurry; take care, my Sava, make sure you love me!” and “Miccio-cio-cio, you broke your father’s stomach while he was shitting; look how Miccio is!” and “Methe, (slave) of Cominia, of Atella, loves Chresto in her heart. May the Venus of Pompeii be propitious to them both and may they always live in harmony.”
Archaeological Park of PompeiiHow scientists documented and deciphered graffiti in Pompeii during their “Bruits de couloir” project.
Such messages are a thrilling peek back at Pompeii’s lively inhabitants. And the ruins are filled with thousands of graffiti marks that experts are eager to decipher and preserve.
“Technology is the key that opens new rooms of the ancient world, and we must also share those rooms with the public,” Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, commented in a press release about this recent graffiti study. “We are working on a project to protect and enhance the writings, which number over 10,000 throughout Pompeii, an immense heritage. Only the use of technology can guarantee a future for all this memory of life lived in Pompeii.”
After reading about the never-before-seen graffiti in Pompeii that was uncovered with the help of imaging technology, look through these haunting photos of the bodies of Pompeii’s residents that were preserved in ash. Then, discover stunning graffiti and street art seen around the world.
