New paintings have been discovered in the ruins of ancient city Pompeii (Picture: Reuters)
A series of stunning new paintings have been discovered in the ruined city of Pompeii, nearly 2,000 years after it was destroyed by a volcanic eruption from the nearby Mount Vesuvius.
Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkably preserved set of ‘fresco’ paintings on a wall at a former home along Via di Nola, one of Pompeii’s longest streets.
One of the artworks depicts the first meeting between mythical figures Paris and Helen of Troy, whose romance sparked the Trojan war.
The picture is hung on a high black wall inside a large banqueting hall, overseeing a near-complete mosaic floor which incorporates more than a million individual white tiles.
The paintings were discovered on a black-walled dining hall in the ruins of a large private residence (Picture: Reuters)
Dr Sophie Hay, a British archaeologist who works at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, said the ‘high quality’ frescos used the black walls as the background for the scene.
‘The dining room seems to be vaguely unique in the sense that normally there are figurative panels with a border around them,’ she told the Times.
‘But the ones in that room are painted directly on to the background.
‘So it’s like they’re doing something new, which is really nice but obviously they never got to enjoy it.’
The pictures show scenes and characters from ancient Greek mythology (Picture: Reuters)
A second newly-discovered fresco in the room depicts the naked Greek god Apollo trying to seduce the priestess Cassandra.
Meanwhile, a third depicts the seduction of Leda, mother of Helen of Troy, by a ‘randy swan’ who is secretly the greek god Zeus in disguise.
‘This long-necked waterfowl is, in fact, none other than the lord of Olympus himself, Zeus, who is pictured here in the act of conceiving the woman whose face would launch a thousand ships,’ said Dr Andrew Sillett, a classics lecturer at the University of Oxford.
Speaking to the Mail, Dr Sillett said the frescos were ‘pretty cool’ because they were likely done close to the eruption.
‘Most paintings we have are somewhat worn as a result of having been painted years before,’ he told the publication.
‘It looks like these were buried very shortly after having been painted.’
The frescos are one of many buried treasures found at the ancient Italian city, which was famously destroyed in AD 79 by a massive volcanic explosion.
It is thought the paintings were completed just before the volcanic eruption (Picture: Reuters)
After the eruption, bodies of the victims at Pompeii were famously preserved in a protective shell of ash before they eventually decayed.
Archaeologists have since filled the voids with plaster casts, which recreate the townsfolks final moments.
Although excavations have been underway at a steady pace for many years, around a third of the city is still buried under volcanic rubble.
The current dig is the biggest in a generation, and seeks to reaffirm Pompeii’s status as the world’s premier window into ancient Roman people and culture.
The latest excavation has been ongoing for around 12 months (Picture: Reuters)
The black room is the latest treasure to emerge from the excavation, which started 12 months ago.
Experts are hoping the newly-uncovered frescos will go on display for the public to enjoy at Pompeii, which gets almost four million visitors a year.
A new documentary about the findings – Pompeii: The New Dig – will be broadcast at 9pm, Monday April 15, on BBC2.
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