Bones from various animals found in an ancient Roman food bar (thermopilium) in Regio V (region 5) of the ruins of Pompeii, Italy. Remains of a dog (foreground), ducks, pigs, goats, snails and fish were all found in one thermopilium. The dog may have been the owners pet, but the other animal bones were found in earthenware jars (dolia), and were likely used as meat in the meals that this bar served. 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 Roman Empire.