An international research team has identified exotic resins and a grape product burned in household altars in pompeii, in a study published online 30 March 2026 ET. The team analysed ash residues from two terracotta incense burners recovered from domestic contexts in and near Pompeii and found traces of local plants alongside resins likely from Africa or Asia. The findings confirm that routine domestic rituals in pompeii incorporated imported aromatics and wine-related offerings, tying everyday cult practice to long-distance trade.
Expanding details: what the analyses found
Researchers applied microscopy, spectrometry and organic residue techniques to two censers excavated from domestic shrines: one from the city and one from a villa at Boscoreale. The analyses identified woody plant fuel or offerings, remains consistent with stone fruit or laurel plants, and biomolecular signatures interpreted as a grape product. Crucially, traces of Burseraceae-type resins—chemically consistent with frankincense-class aromatics originating in tropical Africa or Asia—were detected in one vessel, providing the first archaeological evidence of incense offerings in the Pompeian domestic cult.
The survival of these burned residues is tied to the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which buried the city and its hinterland and preserved organic material inside vessels that otherwise seldom survive. One analyzed censer carries a sculpted rim with reclining female figures; such appliqués are known from domestic ritual objects and likely represent deceased individuals venerated after their death. Samples were examined for phytoliths and calcitic micro-remains alongside chemical biomarkers to build a composite picture of what combusted in these ritual contexts.
Pompeii residues and trade links
The presence of an exotic tree resin likely imported from distant tropical regions demonstrates that households in Pompeii took part in broad Mediterranean and extra-Mediterranean exchange networks. The detection of a grape product in an incense vessel aligns with textual and pictorial accounts of Roman ritual practice in which wine or wine vapour plays a role in offerings. Taken together, the residues make tangible the sensory dimension of domestic sacrifice and emphasize Pompeii’s connections beyond its immediate region.
Immediate reactions from the team
“We can now pinpoint which fragrances were actually burned in Pompeian domestic cult practices, ” said Johannes Eber, University of Zurich, who led the study. “Alongside regional plants, we found traces of imported resins—an indicator of Pompeii’s far-reaching trade connections. “
“Molecular analyses also point to a grape product in one of the incense burners, ” said Maxime Rageot, University of Bonn, who conducted the biomolecular investigations, adding that the evidence aligns with ritual uses of wine reflected in ancient texts and imagery. “The combination of various cutting-edge chemical and microscopic investigation techniques makes the everyday religious practices of the people in Pompeii suddenly tangible, ” said Philipp W. Stockhammer, LMU archaeologist and initiator of the ERC research group behind the project.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said the preserved organic finds and renewed scientific attention enrich understanding of the Roman world and its daily rituals.
What’s next: follow-up tests and display plans
Researchers note limitations tied to the post-excavation histories of the artifacts and call for further sampling and cross-site comparisons to map how widespread these practices were. The team and the archaeological park anticipate additional biomolecular work to test more incense vessels from the Vesuvian area, and curators plan to integrate the chemical findings with display material that highlights preserved plant residues and wooden objects. Future steps will seek to clarify supply routes for imported resins and to place the sensory profile of domestic sacrifice in a broader urban and regional framework, as Pompeii’s material record continues to yield tangible traces of ritual life.
Published online 30 March 2026 ET.
