OXFORD, England — A starter of stuffed dormouse, anyone?

The dish was a delicacy in ancient Rome. It was prepared by gutting the mouse, filling it with pork mince, and baking it. The dormouse had previously been fattened in a special jar that had tiny ledges molded inside, so it could run around before it was slaughtered. One such jar is on view in “Last Supper in Pompeii,” a new exhibition that runs through Jan. 12, 2020 , at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

Pompeii is perhaps our most important window into ancient Rome. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79 , this ordinary Roman town was buried under superheated ash. The heat killed the townspeople almost instantly, even as the ash preserved their final moments for all time, offering us a glimpse into the everyday life of ancient Romans — including what they ate, and how they ate it.

Food was a crucial part of Roman culture; Pompeii alone was surrounded by some 80 farms and vineyards. Meals were served in frescoed dining rooms, but also in bars and restaurants, and offered to the gods.

Dormouse is one Roman specialty that has persisted: It is still served in Croatia and Slovenia. As the exhibition demonstrates, the food and culinary culture of ancient Rome endure in myriad other ways, too.