"Intact" frescoes found in the suburbs of Pompeii

Near Pompeii, in an ancient Roman villa associated with Poppaea Sabina, the second wife of Emperor Nero, restorers have removed a layer of volcanic ash and discovered new fragments of frescoes. For the first time this week, visitors were allowed into the site so they could see both the frescoes themselves and the work of experts right on site.

This is Villa Poppaea in Oplontis (modern-day Torre Annunziata, between Pompeii and Herculaneum). The villa was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, and at the time of the disaster the building was still being repaired, according to researchers.

The new findings were made in the oldest part of the complex, which dates back to the middle of I century BC. Archaeologists expected to see a continuation of the already known images on the neighbouring walls, but got more: from the mud and ash "manifested" new details - for example, parts of a bird on the background of the yellow frieze. In one of the main halls an image of a peacock was found (almost everything has survived except the head). In the Roman tradition peacock is associated with the goddess Juno, and such a motif in the villa is not for the first time.

According to the excavation directors, the so-called "untouched surfaces" are of particular value : areas of paintings with original pigments without late treatments. That is why the specialists were impressed, for example, by the bright red section, which retained its "living" colour. Such fragments help to better understand and the level of skill of artists, and the tastes and status of the owners of the villa.

Conservatives note that expensive colours were used in the decoration of the villa - including cinnabar (a bright red pigment) and "Egyptian blue". This was considered prestigious and showed the wealth of the clients and their trade connections: such materials were not easy to obtain.

Now you can see the excavations on Thursday mornings: visitors are admitted in small groups (up to 10 people) with a regular ticket, accompanied by park staff. The format is deliberately made "chamber", because the site continues to work and scaffolding.

Archaeologists emphasise: the villa is far from being "read" completely - only about 50-60% of the territoryhas been excavated. The boundaries of the complex in some areas are not completely clear, so that new discoveries are quite possible.