Archaeologists in the ancient city of Pompeii, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, have unveiled the partially reconstructed frescoed ceiling vault of a banquet hall. The vault features detailed images from Greek mythology.
The curved vault was presented late Thursday at an international workshop focused on new discoveries and restorations within Pompeii's excavations. The archaeological park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major Italian tourist destination, stated Friday that an innovative method was used to reconstruct the ceiling.
The hall is believed to have been located on the upper floor of a house that also included an adjoining bakery. To reconstruct the vault, experts employed a curved support structure to precisely place the recovered fresco fragments, replicating the original shape of the ceiling. The park indicated that as more fragments are discovered and restored, they can be integrated into the existing scene.
Analysis by archaeologists has determined that the central theme of the frescoes revolves around Dionysus and Ariadne, whose mythological union is one of the most widely known Greek myths.