Archaeologists excavating new sites in Pompeii have uncovered a sumptuous banquet hall decorated with intricately frescoed mythological characters inspired by the Trojan War, officials said Thursday, per the AP. The hall, which features a mosaic floor, was uncovered as part of a project to shore up the areas dividing the excavated and unexcavated parts of Pompeii, the ancient city near Naples that was destroyed in 79 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. The banquet hall was used for refined entertaining and features black walls, a technique that prevented the smoke from oil lamps from being seen, said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii archaeological park.
The figures painted against that black backdrop include Helen of Troy and Apollo. Experts said the reference to mythological figures was designed to entertain guests and provide conversation starters. The room, about 15 yards long and 6 yards wide, opens onto a courtyard near a staircase leading to the first floor of the home, the park said in a release. Excavations in Pompeii have recently focused on areas of the city where the middle classes and servants lived, while previous ones have concentrated on the elaborately frescoed villas of Pompeii's upper classes. The excavations that yielded the new banquet hall are designed to improve the hydrogeological structure of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, to make it more sustainable as the region copes with climate extremes.
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