Archaeologists working on Pompeii archaeological site have unearthed new remains of public and private areas. The discovery was made at Regio V area, while they were trying to resolve stability issues at the site, and was announced on the 270th anniversary of the discovery of the first remains of the ancient city on Friday.
Excavations in the Regio V area are conducted by the auspices of the Great Pompeii project. Supeintendent for Pompeii Massimo Osanna said that while digging in an effort to resolve stability issues researchers came across findings they didn’t expect, such as private and public areas, gardens and porticoes, as well as plasterwork and frescoes in their original shape and colour. This is quite significant since it is a rare occasion to find wall paintings that have not undergone past restoration and that remain unaffected by conservation techniques of the past.
An area has already been identified as a garden, probably, and it will undergo palaeobotanical analysis to retrieve further evidence of its actual function. In a corner of the garden several amphorae have been revealed.
Another feature that has been unearthed is the street that ran alongside the house of the Silver Wedding, with raised pavements and entrances to the buildings on its sides. An entrance to a domus has frescoes and panels depicting a pair of dolphin against a red backgound.
The works are expected to last for about two years and to cost 8.5 million euros. The area will be open to visitors during the works.