Bones from various animals found in an ancient Roman food bar (thermopilium) in Regio V (region 5) district of the ruins of Pompeii, Italy. Remains of a dog (left), ducks, pigs, goats, snails and fish were all found in one thermopilium. The dog was likely the owners pet, whereas the other animal bones were found in earthenware jars (dolia), and were probably used as meat. Thermopolia served hot food and drinks, especially to citizens without their own kitchens, which included much of the working and middle-classes. Pompeii was a Roman town with a population of around 20,000 that was destroyed when the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. Layers of ash have preserved the site, allowing archaeologists to glean much about life in the first century Roman Empire.