THE SILVER TREASURE OF MOREGINE
Since the 18th century, infrastructure projects around the Bay of Naples and Mt Vesuvius have accidentally uncovered not only Pompeii, Herculaneum, and numerous stately seaside villas, but hoardes of fine silver plate as well. During the 1959 construction of the Salerno-Napoli autostrada, workers ran into an architectural complex in Moregine, a mere 600 meters from the walls of Pompeii. The excavation of “villa” (which was more likely a guest house or hotel) yielded a group of Fourth Style triclinium frescoes by the same workshop that decorated the House of the Vettii. The site was reburied, but reopened again for subsequent roadwork, most recently in 2000.
At that time, workers casually came across a large petrified basket in a latrine, apparently left there by someone fleeing the eruption of AD 79. X-ray scans of the wicker basket revealed metal items trapped in the lava. Five years were required to separate what proved to be 20 pieces of fine chased silverware from the hardened volcanic debris that had engulfed them—but also perfectly preserved them. Only three other silver hoardes from the early empire are known to exist.
This description of the treasure was published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2010:
The silver objects—the Moregine Treasure—represent one of the few Roman silver dining sets to survive from the first century A.D. They include vessels for holding, serving, and receiving food as well as receptacles for mixing, pouring, and drinking liquids. ... The two canthari (drinking cups) are of particular interest and were likely prized antiques at the time they were buried, having been made over a century earlier at the very end of the Hellenistic era, likely in Alexandria, Egypt. They seem to commemorate what is sometimes known as the Treaty of Brundisium between Mark Anthony and Octavian in 40 B.C., just four years after the assassination of Caesar. This historic treaty gave Mark Anthony command of the eastern Roman provinces, while Octavian was given control over Italy and the West.
The Moregine service closely resembles a fresco in the tomb of Victorius Priscus in Pompeii depicting argentum potorium. The painting, which dated around AD 75, proves that silverware such as the Moregine service, was also used in the celebratory meals honoring the deceased that took place in their tombs.
The tesoro di Moregine was lent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2010-2015 as part of a repatriation agreement obliging the museum to return 17 pieces of Hellenistic silver which the Italian government claims were looted. The treasure and the deposed frescoes are now permanently installed in the Palestra Grande exhibition space at Pompeii.