Italians are known for their love of pizza and archaeologists may have discovered a painting which depicts what might be its precursor in Pompeii.

Italy’s culture ministry said the flatbread depicted in the 2,000-year-old fresco ‘may be a distant ancestor of the modern dish’.

This is because it lacks the classic ingredients to technically be considered a pizza.

Tomatoes and mozzarella — were not available when the fresco was painted some 2,000 years ago.

Tomatoes were only introduced from America a few centuries ago and some historians claim the discovery of mozzarella in the 1700s led to the invention of pizza in nearby Naples.

The fresco was found in the hall of a house next to a bakery during recent digs this year at the site in southern Italy.

The discovery was made during new excavations of Regio IX in the centre of Pompeii.

Archaeologists say the flatbread may have been eaten with fruits such as pomegranates or dates, or dressed with spices and a type of pesto sauce.

Pompeii director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said it shows the contrast between a ‘frugal and simple meal’ and the ‘luxury of silver trays’.

‘How can we fail to think, in this regard, of pizza, also born as a ‘poor’ dish in southern Italy, which has now conquered the world and is also served in starred restaurants,’ he said.

Alongside the fresco, the skeletons of three people were also discovered in the working areas of the home in recent weeks, a culture ministry statement added.

Pompeii was destroyed in the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

The sudden and deadly event left much of the structure intact, embalmed in volcanic ash, and the site is now a major archaeological project and tourist attraction.

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