As it is known, the year 1748 marked the official start of the excavations of Pompeii at the behest of King Charles of Bourbon. However, before this date the existence of an ancient buried city was already widely acknowledged, even though the research carried out is little known due to its episodic and often clandestine character. The safety works carried out on the excavation fronts currently underway in the Regio V of Pompeii, have made it possible to identify and document substantial traces of excavation activities. These were probably in search of precious objects and were mainly accomplished through the construction of tunnels that often break through the ancient walls and upset the stratigraphies inside the rooms. They do not seem to be connected with official explorations, and most likely precede them, as could be inferred by a 17th century coin found in one of the overturned layers. The ongoing study of these excavation activities provides an important contribution to an otherwise almost unknown moment in the history of Pompeian research.
