Herculaneum archaeologists restore ancient bakery and stone mills

The Herculaneum Archaeological Park has completed restoration work on an ancient bakery (pistrinum) located near the Palestra. The project involved restoring two donkey mills made of volcanic stone and the bakery's oven, which overlooks Vicolo Meridionale.

The site offers insight into daily life in the ancient city before the eruption of 79 AD. The complex originally served as a public latrine and waiting area before being converted into a bakery featuring a wood-fired oven, a water basin, and animal stalls for the mills.

During previous excavations between 1927 and 1961, archaeologist Amedeo Maiuri discovered the skeleton of a donkey at the base of one of the mills, highlighting the animal's role in the grain-grinding process.