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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Ashes from Pompeii shed light on rituals in ancient Rome

Residues show that residents of Pompeii burnt resins imported from thousands of kilometres away.
A black and white photo of a small stone alcove containing two tiny figurines and a shallow bowl

A shrine preserved in a Pompeian house contains an incense burner and statuettes of household deities. Credit: Courtesy of the Ministero della Cultura – Parco Archeologico di Pompei

People in the Roman city of Pompeii, Italy, burnt aromatic resins imported from as far away as sub‑Saharan Africa and India in household incense burners1.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01003-y

References

  1. Eber, J., Gur-Arieh, S., Power, R. C., Rageot, M. & Stockhammer, P. W. Antiquity https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10320 (2026).

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