Roman temple intact as new under 2,000-year-old volcanic ash
The shrine, with its fresh, lifelike frescoes, was buried in the catastrophic eruption, protected by volcanic ash for 2,000 years.
The shrine, with its crimson walls and frescoes depicting exotic gardens with birds, trees and snakes, is considered by the archaeologists to be very special. They are excavating the ruins to learn more about the people who used it.
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The peacock is painted close to the wall to create the feeling of walking on the ground. Photo: AP. |
In ancient Rome, a lararium was a shrine at the entrance of wealthy homes where people would make offerings and pray to the gods. Massimo Osanna, who directs excavations at Pompeii, called the discovery “a magical and mysterious room that will require long-term study.” The room, built into the wall of a small house, contained paintings of Roman gods that were worshipped in homes.
The animal paintings in the garden of wonders follow a typical Roman style of illustration, with peacocks painted along the walls to give the impression that they are actually walking in the garden. One fresco shows a man with a dog's head, possibly a Roman version of the Egyptian god Anubis.
Shrines were common in Roman homes, according to Professor Ingrid Rowland, a historian at the University of Notre Dame. “Every house had a latarium, but only the wealthiest could afford to have one built inside a special, lavishly decorated room,” Rowland says.
According to Osanna, the shrine is special not only because of the beautiful frescoes on the walls but also because the structure is extremely well preserved. "The paintings scattered throughout the area were preserved by volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The thick layer of rock and ash that was ejected during the two-day disaster prevented sunlight and water from reaching the artifacts below for nearly two millennia," Osanna said.
