The necropolises of Pompeii reveal a range of funerary practices that reflect the city's cultural diversity and the influence of Roman customs. Both methods (cremation and inhumation) of body disposal were practiced in Pompeii. Cremation was more common during earlier periods, while inhumation (burial of the body) became more prevalent later on. Tombs often contained personal items, such as jewelry, pottery, and coins, intended to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. These grave goods provide valuable information about the personal lives and beliefs of the individuals buried there. Many tombs feature inscriptions that commemorate the deceased, providing names, ages, professions, and sometimes details about their lives and achievements. These inscriptions are a crucial source of historical and genealogical information.

The necropolises of Pompeii were not just places for burial but also served as sites for commemoration and social display. The construction and decoration of tombs were ways for families to express their social status, wealth, and piety. The variety of tomb types and the presence of elaborate monuments reflect the competitive nature of social status in Pompeian society.

The necropolises of Pompeii have been extensively studied since their discovery, providing invaluable insights into the city's social structure, cultural practices, and daily life. The preservation of these sites allows archaeologists to piece together the lives of Pompeii's inhabitants and their attitudes towards death and the afterlife.

The necropolises of ancient Pompeii are rich archaeological sites that offer a window into the city's complex social fabric and cultural practices. From the elaborate tombs of the wealthy to the modest graves of the common people, these burial grounds reveal much about the values, beliefs, and daily lives of the Pompeians. Through ongoing excavation and study, the necropolises continue to enhance our understanding of this ancient city and its inhabitants.

circa 150 BCE

Necropolis of the Vesuvius Gate
The necropolis of the Vesuvius Gate is located in the north, along the road leading to Mount Vesuvius. In the early 20th century, the excavations brought to light some monumental tombs of famous aristocratic citizens, including that of Vestorius Priscus, adorned with an exceptional series of paintings. However, it still remains one of the least extensively excavated and least published among the city's extramural cemeteries. It lies just outside the Porta Vesuvio, flanking the Via del Vesuvio that led toward the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Its strategic location connects it to routes likely used for both agrarian activity and regional travel prior to the 79 CE eruption. However, unlike the more thoroughly investigated burial grounds at Porta Nocera or Porta Ercolano, this necropolis has yielded relatively few systematically studied funerary structures.

The burial types identified at the Vesuvius Gate necropolis include both inhumations and cremations, consistent with broader Pompeian practices in the 1st century BCE and 1st century CE. Remains of modest tomb enclosures and altars have been noted here, often without the elaborate architectural framing seen elsewhere. Epigraphic evidence from the area is limited, but at least some inscriptions attest to freedpersons and lower-status individuals, reinforcing the hypothesis that this necropolis served a more modest segment of the urban population.

The area was partly excavated in the late 19th century and again during sporadic rescue work in the 20th century. Unfortunately, due to heavy erosion, modern encroachment, and limited conservation priority, much of the necropolis remains under-documented. Nonetheless, aerial imagery and recent topographic mapping suggest the existence of multiple tomb plots, some aligned directly along the roadside in traditional Pompeian fashion. A few masonry tombs built in opus incertum and opus reticulatum survive in poor condition, offering comparative potential to the funerary landscapes at more established gates.

circa 150 BCE

Necropolis of Nocera Gate
The necropolis of Porta Nocera is set on the sides of a road that runs parallel with the city walls. There are several burial monuments that exemplify the most popular models at the beginning of the 1st century BCE, the period when the necropolis began to be visited, and 79 CE. These include the tomb of Eumachia, the priestess who financed the construction of a large building in the Forum dedicated to Augustan Concord and Piety. Here, inside an enclosure, there is the high basis over which a semi-circular (exedra) opens up, inside of which the burial chamber is found.

circa 150 BCE

Necropolis of the Stabian Gate
Just beyond the Porta Stabiana, at the southern edge of Pompeii, lies a necropolis established along the Via Stabiana—one of the city’s main thoroughfares. Excavations conducted in 2001–2002 (with restoration in 2018) revealed two prominent chamber-tombs (designated SG4 and SG5), situated approximately 60 metres outside the gate, beyond the legal boundary for interments within city limits. These tombs are aligned along a stretch of Via Stabiana paved in basalt and flanked by a white-plastered opus reticulatum wall, preserving a segment of the funerary landscape which had been obscured by modern construction for decades.

Tomb SG4 (Tomb A) is a nearly square monument constructed atop a grey tuff podium. The internal chamber features three walls with carved niches, and excavators discovered well-preserved cinerary remains including two intact glass urns with lids, small blown-glass doves, and a jug. A limestone door on the southern side, which remarkably retained its original bronze latch and iron ring, was still functional upon discovery. Painted greetings in Latin (tituli picti) addressed to named individuals were also visible on its surface—rare survivals that offer direct glimpses into personal commemorative practices.

Tomb SG5 (Tomb B), immediately south of SG4, is a rectangular structure composed of large white limestone blocks. It likely once supported an altar or similar superstructure. Inside, nine niches were originally used for cremation burials; five still contained urns at the time of excavation. Among the finds were clay urns filled with cremated bone, warped glass unguentaria (distorted by pyre heat), and a coin—likely serving the purpose of Charon’s obol. A cocciopesto floor contained a central libation duct, constructed from ceramic and covered by a marble slab, facilitating ritual offerings without disturbing the burial chamber, a practice attested elsewhere in Roman funerary contexts.

Both tombs exemplify podium-style constructions with subterranean or semi-subterranean chambers, likely topped with commemorative altars. Despite partial modern damage, their preserved features—especially the funerary objects, structural elements, and libation installations—allow a detailed reconstruction of elite and sub-elite burial customs in early Imperial Pompeii. The graffiti, ritual architecture, and use of valuable materials point to individuals of considerable status, possibly wealthy freedmen or local notables who wished to ensure ongoing visibility and ritual remembrance.

This necropolis segment, though smaller than those at other gates like Porta Nocera or Porta Ercolano, fits the broader pattern of Roman funerary law and custom: tombs were placed along major roads leading out of city gates to reinforce memory, identity, and social position. The Porta Stabiana zone gains additional importance from the later discovery of the monumental tomb of Gnaeus Alleius Nigidius Maius nearby—one of Pompeii’s wealthiest citizens—indicating this area may have held significant local prestige despite its comparatively constrained physical space.

circa 150 BCE

Necropolis of the Nola Gate
The Necropolis of Porta Nola, situated just beyond Pompeii’s eastern defensive wall, developed gradually from the Samnite period into the Roman Imperial era. As Roman law prohibited burials within city boundaries, cemeteries were customarily located along roads outside city gates. This necropolis flanks the Via di Nola (also known as the Via Nucerina), with funerary monuments organized in a relatively narrow zone—approximately 30 meters wide—stretching alongside this arterial route.

The cemetery's earliest burials may date to the 5th–4th century BCE, but the majority of the tombs visible today were constructed from the 1st century BCE onward. Excavations, including those led by the British School at Rome, have revealed a clear sequence of use: initial funerary occupation; reconfiguration and rebuilding following the earthquake of 62 CE; and, finally, the moment of its abandonment following the eruption of 79 CE.

Architecturally, the necropolis displays a wide range of funerary types corresponding to various social strata. Among the most prominent monuments is the tomb of Marcus Obellius Firmus, a well-preserved elite structure with a monumental enclosure, arched entranceway, remains of funerary beds, ash deposits, and a tufa boundary wall. This tomb may have defined a private precinct or burial pagus, a distinct spatial and possibly familial claim within the necropolis. Nearby stands a rare schola-style tomb belonging to Aesquillia Polla, designed in the form of a semicircular exedra with decorative lion-paw bases. These tombs served not only as burial markers but also as public commemorative seating, reinforcing the deceased’s civic role and memory.

In contrast to these elite structures, the necropolis also contains numerous columella-style burials—modest cremation graves marked by upright stone posts or stelae. These often bear simple busts or sculpted caps and were typically used for lower-status individuals. Inscriptions and name markers from this section reveal a significant presence of freedmen and non-Latin names, including many Greek names, highlighting the ethnic and social diversity of Pompeii’s population. A particularly notable feature of the Porta Nola necropolis is the cluster of Praetorian Guard burials. Four tombs have been attributed to members of the imperial guard. These included marble columellae and ceramic urns containing cremated remains, along with associated grave goods. Initially uncovered in the 1970s, they represent a rare glimpse into the burial practices afforded to elite soldiers stationed in Campania.

One of the most haunting finds at Porta Nola is the group of fifteen eruption victims discovered near the tomb of Obellius Firmus, just outside the gate itself. These individuals perished during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and were preserved through the use of plaster casting techniques. Their positioning and preservation continue to provide critical data for bioarchaeological research, including insights into demographics, health, and their final moments.

From an infrastructural perspective, the Porta Nola site also preserves a carefully engineered drainage system. A concrete channel, dating to the 2nd century BCE, ran through the tufa agger and collected rainwater from the Via di Nola, discharging it in a small waterfall over a travertine lip onto the road surface. The consistent wear on this feature shows it remained active up to the moment of the eruption, a subtle but enduring trace of urban engineering integrated into the funerary zone. The Necropolis of Porta Nola offers a remarkably stratified view of Pompeian society in death. Monumental tombs of the elite, civic commemorative forms like the schola tombs, humble cremation plots for the urban poor, and military burials coexisted along this eastern road. Together with the preserved eruption victims and infrastructural features, the site reflects not only funerary practice but also broader themes of status, memory, community, and tragedy at the city’s literal and symbolic threshold.

circa 150 BCE

Eastern Wall Necropolis
The Eastern Wall Necropolis is a linear funerary zone situated along the outer face of Pompeii’s city wall, between the Porta Sarno and Porta Nola. Initially thought to represent a modest and informal cremation area for lower-status individuals—based on 19th-century discoveries of 38 cinerary urns and a series of epitaphs (CIL X 8349–8361) inscribed directly into the masonry of the city wall—recent excavations have significantly revised this interpretation. The 2015 investigations by the Porta Nola Necropolis Project uncovered additional cremation urns, an inhumation burial of a young infant (aged 3–6 months) in an amphora-lined grave, and clear traces of funerary structures, including wall foundations and floor surfaces demarcating a regulated burial space.

Many of the cremation urns contained grave goods such as small ceramic unguentaria and coins, including one case where a burnt coin had been placed inside the urn, likely collected from the pyre. A cluster of inscriptions bearing Greek names was also found carved into the city wall east of Porta Nola near Tower VII, further suggesting the presence of a socially mixed population within this necropolis. While earlier scholars had interpreted the site as peripheral and marginal, recent evidence points to a more complex and structured burial ground dating to the late Republican and early Imperial periods, characterized by both cremation and inhumation practices, and displaying greater ritual care and material investment than previously assumed.

circa 150 BCE

Necropolis of Fondo Pacifico
The Necropolis of Fondo Pacifico lies at the eastern periphery of Pompeii and was excavated in 1886 and approximately 1887. It constitutes a compact and structured burial ground, likely associated with Pompeii’s eastern gate, Porta Sarno. The tombs discovered here—designated FP1 through FP6—were systematically documented and later reburied, and are no longer visible today. Among the notable interments is a tomb believed to belong to Alfiae Servillae, based on surviving inscriptions and funerary architecture. Other significant commemorated individuals include members of the Calventii, Lollii, Veranii, Blaesii, and a group connected to Novia Amoena, Lucius Iacellius Virillio, Caius Novius Lupercus, Cnaeus Turranius Primus, and Cornelia Quieta. The necropolis showcases both modest and elaborate tomb structures, often inscribed, reflecting a socially diverse cross-section of Pompeian society. Though no longer extant, the necropolis remains valuable through 19th-century archival records, which preserve critical data on Pompeii’s funerary customs, epigraphic formulas, and patterns of commemorative architecture in the late 1st century BCE to early Imperial period.

circa 150 BCE

Necropolis of the Herculaneum Gate
The necropolis of the Herculaneum Gate, which stretches along the road that led to Naples, was already used during the first centuries of life in Pompeii, although the funeral buildings visible today date back to the 1st century BCE and thereon. The monumental tombs illustrate the most common types of funeral at that time. One can see two tombs upon leaving the Herculaneum Gate, on the left, which consist of a semi-circular seat in tuff, called schola (from the Greek word schole, which is the root word for 'school'), typical of Pompeii and dedicated by the city assembly to distinguished and deserving citizens. One of them preserves the inscription of the owner of the tomb in large letters, the public priestess Mamia, who died around 29 CE and who had had the Temple of the Genius of Augustus in the Forum built. Other tombs are built on a high basis in the shape of an altar, such as that of Naevoleia Tyche and Munatius Faustus with the depiction of the double seat, a symbol of the honour granted to sit in the front row at the theatre and of a ship that enters the port. Later, the suburban of the city begins among the tombs, populated by several villas.

circa 150 BCE

Necropolis of Porta Sarno
The necropolis of Porta Sarno lies just outside the eastern boundary of Pompeii, extending along the road that exited the city through the Porta Sarno gate. It reflects a complex funerary landscape shaped primarily during the late Republican and early Imperial periods. The area includes a range of burial types, from simple columellae and cremation urns to monumental tombs with sculptural reliefs and inscription panels.

One of the most striking features is a recently excavated tomb façade with a sculpted relief of a man and woman, interpreted as a married couple of notable status, possibly with the woman serving a religious role—suggested by her crescent pendant and symbolic motifs associated with the cult of Ceres. Numerous tombs are built with volcanic tuff or concrete and faced with painted plaster, some including internal niches for urns or multiple inhumations. Earlier excavations revealed a funerary arch and over 50 cremation burials, many marked by carefully inscribed stelae. The necropolis was long obscured by modern infrastructure until recent excavations renewed scholarly focus on its rich epigraphic and architectural diversity.