The horrors of Roman slavery have been revealed by new excavations in Pompeii. Archaeologists have been studying a bakery-prison where enslaved workers and donkeys were ruthlessly exploited to produce bread. The cramped confines of the bakery reveal a grim reality—a windowless space with small openings high in the walls, adorned with iron bars to allow minimal light. Notably, the floor bears indentations meticulously carved to coordinate the movement of donkeys, compelled to walk blindly for hours alongside humans. Gabriel Zuchtriegel, who has co-authored a study on the excavations, says: “It is the most shocking side of ancient slavery, the one devoid of both trusting relationships and promises of manumission where we were reduced to brute violence, an impression that is entirely confirmed by the securing of the few windows with iron bars”. Disturbingly, in one bakery rooms the remains of three individuals were discovered. These revelations provide a tangible connection to the toil documented by the second-century writer Apuleius who recounted the grueling labour of men, women, and animals in ancient mills and bakeries. The production area, lacking doors and direct communication with the outside world, provides a stark representation of ancient slavery.