Incredible Pompeii discovery as perfectly preserved drawings uncovered
The newly uncovered paintings revealed children as young as five watched gladiator fights in Ancient Rome.
The discovery of an incredible new set of drawings in Pompeii has shed further insight into life in the Roman city ahead of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
The charcoal graffiti discovered on the walls of a courtyard appears to show children as young as five would regularly watch gladiator battles – and would recount their feats with wall drawings.
The paintings, believed to be around 2,000 years old, show men carrying spears and shields fighting each other as well as animals.
One of the paintings shows the men fighting four-legged animals that look like boars.
Another drawing shows two figures playing with a ball, while another appears to show a boxing scene with one of the fighters lying on the ground.
One graffiti seemingly backing claims the paintings were made by children shows the outline of tiny hands on the courtyard's wall.
The fights, which would often be to the death, were held regularly in Pompeii's amphitheatre before the town was completely buried under ash and lava.
The primitive graffiti was uncovered during excavations at a complex of buildings on the western side of the ancient city known as Insula dei Casti Amanti (Island of Chaste Lovers).
Archaeologists have noted the location of the drawings close to the floor as well as their primitive nature suggests they were made by children.
Archaeological Park of Pompeii director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said: "We came to the conclusion that in all likelihood the drawings of the gladiators and hunters were made on the basis of a direct vision and not from pictorial models.
"Probably one or more of the children who played in this courtyard, among the kitchens, latrine and flowerbeds for growing vegetables, had witnessed fights in the amphitheatre.
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"Probably one or more of the children who played in this courtyard, among the kitchens, latrine and flowerbeds for growing vegetables, had witnessed fights in the amphitheatre.
"[They came] into contact with an extreme form of spectacularised violence, which could also include executions of criminals and slaves."
Mr Zuchtriegel said the human figures depicted have arms and legs that stem directly from the head much like in modern drawings made by children.
He added: "Evidently it is an anthropological constant that is independent of artistic and cultural fashions.
The expert also noted that witnessing scenes of graphic violence during gladiator fights likely had an impact on the psyche of Pompeii's children.
Mr Zuchtriegel said: "The drawings show us the impact of this on the imagination of a young boy or girl, subject to the same developmental stages that are still found today."
