Tests will now be carried out to determine what the coating was made of

Existence was first seen in a Roman cookbook and has now been proved

Said to be those of Cumanae testae - non-stick

You may think Tefal frying pans and other handy non-stick cookware are modern inventions.

But the discovery of a Roman pottery dump near Naples has revealed that the Romans used non-stick pans too.

Archaeologists unearthed fragments of pots with a thick, red, slippery coating, which are thought to have been used to cook meaty stews some 2,000 years ago.

The discovery of a Roman pottery dump near Naples has revealed that the Romans used non-stick pans. Archaeologists unearthed fragments of pots with a thick, red, slippery coating (pictured), which are thought to have been used to cook meaty stews some 2,000 years ago

The fragments of cookware, known as Cumanae testae or Cumanae patellae - meaning pans from the city of Cumae - were found 12 miles (19km) west of Naples in the ancient city, Discovery News reported.

They date from between 27BC and 37 AD, or the rule of emperors Augustus and Tiberius.

It was first suggested the Romans cut down on their washing up by using non-stick pans in a first-century cookbook entitled De Re Coquinaria.

It was first suggested that the Romans cut down on their washing up by using non-stick pans in a first-century cookbook entitled De Re Coquinaria. A millstone was also found at the site (pictured), perhaps buried as an offering the the gods

The fragments of cookware, known as Cumanae testae or Cumanae patellae, meaning pans from the city of Cumae, were found 12 miles (19km) west of Naples in the ancient city (site marked on the map)

It said the easy-care cookware was particularly good for making chicken stews and its desirable properties meant it was exported across the Mediterranean to North Africa, France and Britain, for example.

After the passing of centuries, Professor of Greek and Roman art, Giuseppe Pucci, proposed that Cumanae testae has evolved into what's known as Pompeian Red Ware – pottery with a thick red-slip coating on the inside.

WHAT ARE CUMANAE TESTAE? Cumae was one of the first Greek colonies in Italy, founded in the eight century BC, with Roman soldiers conquering the city in 228 BC. In Roman mythology, there is an entrance to the underworld located at Avernus, a crater lake near Cumae, and was the route Aeneas used to descend to the Underworld. The coastal city was destroyed by the Neapolitans and abandoned in 2015. The fragments of cookware, known as Cumanae testae or Cumanae patellae - meaning pans from the city of Cumae - were found 12 miles (19km) west of Naples in the ancient city. Analysis has shown the composition of the pottery is different to 'Red Ware' found in Pompeii, which had a lesser quality shiny, or non-stick coating. Tests will now be carried out to determine what the coating was made of. Advertisement

But until now, no evidence of the historical cookware had been found.

A team of archaeologists from the University of Naples 'L'Orientale' found fragments of pottery with the distinctive glaze in Cumae, to support Dr Pucci's claims.

'We found a dump site filled with internal red-slip cookware fragments,' Dr Marco Giglio, part of the team, told journalist Rossella Lorenzi.

'This shows for the first time the Cumanae patellae were indeed produced in this city.'

The team unearthed more than 50,000 pieces of lids, pots and pans with the red glaze, suggesting the site may have been a dump for imperfect non-stick cookware.

'These pieces help us enormously to reconstruct the way the pottery was manufactured,' Dr Giglio said.

Because just 10 per cent of the site of the ancient pottery factories has been excavated, many more examples of the pottery may be found.

Analysis has shown the composition of the pottery is different to 'Red Ware' found in Pompeii, which had a lesser quality shiny, or non-stick coating.

Tests will now be carried out to determine what the coating was made of.

By comparison, modern-day, non-stick pots and pans use technology called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Teflon is a brand of PTFE.

It uses layers of PTFE sprayed or rolled on, and the more layers, the higher the quality of non-stick coating.

Dr Giglio said finding the production site of the superior non-stick posts is an archaeologist's dream.

Because just 10 per cent of the site of the ancient pottery factories has been excavated, many more examples of the pottery may be found. The Romans used lots of kitchen gadgets in their bakeries (illustrated)

Tefal is one of the leading manufacturers of non-stick kitchenware. It uses technology called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Teflon is a brand of PTFE. It uses layers of PTFE sprayed or rolled on, and the more layers, the higher the quality of non-stick coating

DID GREEKS INVENT NON-STICK? Previous research has found that Mycenaean Greeks might have used non-stick pans to make bread more than 3,000 years ago. Mycenaean ceramic griddles had one smooth side and one side covered with tiny holes. The bread was likely placed on the side with the holes, since the dough tended to stick when cooked on the smooth side of the pan. These holes seemed to be an ancient non-sticking technology, ensuring that oil spread evenly over the griddle. Advertisement

Cumae was one of the first Greek colonies in Italy, founded in the eight century BC, with Roman soldiers conquering the city in 228 BC.

In Roman mythology, there is an entrance to the underworld located at Avernus, a crater lake near Cumae, and was the route Aeneas used to descend to the Underworld.

The coastal city was destroyed by the Neapolitans and abandoned in 2015.

Previous research has found that Mycenaean Greeks might have used non-stick pans to make bread more than 3,000 years ago.

Mycenaean ceramic griddles had one smooth side and one side covered with tiny holes.

The bread was likely placed on the side with the holes, since the dough tended to stick when cooked on the smooth side of the pan.