The Cermonial Sex Cart of Pompeii

Back in 2017, the authorities at Pompeii got concerned that looters were taking too much interest in a suburban villa called Civita Giuliana, just outside the north wall of the town. So they decided to undertake a program of excavation, to find out what was drawing the looters' attention and get to it before they did. The dig was indeed "exceptionally productive." The finds included a stable with the first intact horse skeleton found in the town and the domestic quarters of some of the villa's slaves. They also found a complete set of charred beams, allowing reconstruction of the second floor.

In February, 2021 the archaeologists announced that they had found something remarkable, a ceremonial cart; this was being stored in the villa's stables. That's it above as it emerged from the ground. The cart was less than a meter from one of the tunnels dug by the looters, who barely missed it. The excavation was complex:

From the moment it was identified, the excavation of the chariot has proved to be particularly complex due to the fragility of the materials involved and the difficult working conditions; as a result, it was necessary to proceed by means of a micro-excavation conducted by the restorers of the Park, who are specialised in the treatment of wood and metals. At the same time, whenever a void was discovered, plaster was poured in as part of an attempt to preserve the imprint of the organic material that was no longer present. Consequently, it has been possible to preserve the shaft and platform of the chariot, as well as the imprints of ropes, thus revealing the chariot in all of its complexity.

The cart, they said, was decorated with "erotic reliefs," which certainly got everyone's attention. The History Blog explains what it may have been:

Transport vehicles, including chariots, have been found at Pompeii, but this was something else entirely. Known as a pilentum, ancient sources including Livy and Virgil refer these carriages being used for special occasions (parades, festivals, sacred rites) only. The rear of the chariot is decorated with medallions that depicts satyrs, nymphs and erotes. Livy and Virgil mention their use by matrons and priestesses, so it’s possible it was used in rituals associated with womanhood, carrying a bride on her wedding day, for example.

Now the cart has been restored and put on display.

The rear, with the erotic imagery.

Pompeii and the surrounding villas may be the most astonishing record of the past anywhere in the world.