New frescoes with "exceptional detail and color," as well as new rooms, have been discovered in a villa on the outskirts of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, the archaeological park said.
The discoveries were made at the Villa of Poppea in Oplontis, a large residence dating from the mid-first century BC, which is thought to have belonged to Poppea Sabina, the second wife of Emperor Nero, or to her family.
Archaeologists found an almost completely preserved fresco of a peacock, missing its head, which is a counterpart to a previously discovered peacock fresco, as well as fragments of a theatrical comedy mask, which complement other theatrical tragedy masks found in the same hall, Reuters reports.
The excavations also revealed tree prints in the villa's garden, created by lava flows, as well as four new rooms, bringing the total number of excavated rooms to 99. Among them is one believed to have been part of the villa's thermal baths.
The discoveries "open up promising new research opportunities to understand the layout of the villa and study the long-term interactions between human settlers and the natural environment," said park director Gabriel Cutrigel.
The once-thriving city of Pompeii, near Naples, along with its surrounding area, was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, but its remains were preserved after being buried under a thick layer of ash and lava for centuries.
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