Archaeologists in Pompeii have unearthed an unusual small house while excavating the ruins of the ancient Italian city, officials said. Although the house was buried under the ash and rubble that wiped out Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, most of the elaborate frescoes on its interior walls remain intact.
The house was built during an ongoing construction project in a section of the Pompeii Archaeological Park called Insula dei Casti Amanti (House of the Chaste Lovers), the park said in a translated statement. It got into his eyes. Its size is unusually small compared to others discovered at Pompeii, including those nearby, and the fact that it contains such gorgeous art inside makes it even more intriguing.
Details of a richly decorated but unusually small house with beautifully preserved frescoes depicting mythological scenes have been photographed at the archaeological site of Pompeii, Italy. Pompeii Archaeological Park/Handout via Reuters
The frescoes mainly depict scenes from classical mythology. One of the best-preserved paintings depicting the Greek tragic characters Hippolytus and Phaedra gave the house its tentative name, House of Phaedra. Hippolytus and Phaedra also appear in smaller paintings elsewhere in the house.
In addition to these figures, archaeologists have found frescoes depicting the embrace of a satyr (a half-human, half-goat figure from Greek mythology) and a nymph, as well as one of a pair of gods, believed to be Venus and Adonis. discovered. said Park. The other may depict another Greek myth, the Judgment of Paris, but the scene was difficult to decipher because the fresco was damaged.
Details of a richly decorated but unusually small house in Pompeii, with beautifully preserved frescoes. Pompeii Archaeological Park/Handout via Reuters
They discovered more artwork in the courtyard outside the house, mostly containing illustrations of flora and fauna, such as birds of prey and two snakes facing each other. According to the park, the snakes were placed around an altar, where people may have placed offerings.
Some of the last offerings before the eruption were still there. Archaeologists discovered a ceramic incense burner and lamp, and laboratory analysis detected traces of twigs of fragrant essence. Colored marble and a carving of a face associated with the Greek god Dionysus were also found on the altar.
Park officials say the discovery of this ancient house and the house itself is particularly interesting, as the ancient house at Pompeii and the house itself are architecturally and stylistically different, especially since the Roman society was built in the 1st century B.C. It could help shed light on some of the changes that people were experiencing, he said. those neighbors. A scientific paper discussing the unusual arrangement of the houses has been published in the Archaeological Park’s digital magazine, which focuses on Pompeii.
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