Graffiti drawn by children nearly 2,000 years ago found in Pompeii

The charcoal drawings have revealed secrets about Pompeii's past

Drawings believed to have been made by children who lived nearly 2,000 years ago have been discovered in the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy.

The pictures are ancient graffiti, and are of things kids would have seen in real life - gladiators and hunters.

But instead of spray paint, much of this graffiti was drawn using charcoal.

It's hoped this discovery will help experts understand more about what life was like as a child living in the ancient city, which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79 A.D.

What did the graffiti in Pompeii show?

A small hand can be seen outlined in charcoal with gladiators fighting next to it

The drawings were discovered while archaeologists were digging up houses in Pompeii.

Some drawings were found on the wall of a corridor near a courtyard where children would have played.

Experts believe a child or children may have climbed onto scaffolding put up for work being done to the house.

Other sketches were discovered in a vase storage room and were drawn from a child's height.

The images at the top show two gladiators facing each other and two beast fighters known as 'bestiarii' with long spears. On the right the head of a bird of prey can be seen.

Children have also drawn around their hands in charcoal.

Other pictures show two people playing with a ball, a wild boar, some boxing, and a fishing scene. Some of this was created using a red mineral pigment, so they had other colours to work with.

Houses in the ancient ruins are being carefully studied

What have we learnt from the ancient drawings?

Today we have warnings on certain films and video games that are thought to be too adult for children to watch, but at the time that Pompeii was buried by the volcanic eruption, children would have seen gory things like gladiators fighting to the death!

Pompeii director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said: "Probably one or more of the children who played in this courtyard, among the kitchens, latrine and flowerbeds for growing vegetables, had witnessed fights in the amphitheater".

It's also believed these fights could have included executions of criminals and slaves.

These discoveries help historians and psychologists to understand what life was like for children and how what they saw may have affected them growing up.