A touch of history: new shrine discovered in Italy's Pompeii

The ruins of Pompeii are proof of a bygone era, and are unique. Now excavators working here in this Roman-era city have found an age-old shrine. The shrine in Pompeii is an elaborate one, full of paintings depicting plants, snakes, and a large peacock. The shrine contains images of Roman gods, while the altar of the shrine is decorated with eggs.
The shrine in Pompeii is preserved in the wall of a house here, giving a fresh perspective into the life and times of the lost city in Italy’s western coast. Pompeii was completely destroyed in 79 A.D. by a deadly volcanic flow caused by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. During the disaster, as many as 30,000 people are believed to have died.

According to the Director of Pompeii Archaeological Site, the site is extraordinary because it is so well-preserved.

Interestingly, the clouds of ash that was formed from the volcanic eruption helped in preserving the paintings. For 2,000 years the colours of the paintings have been protected from light and water, and hidden in complete darkness. Yet another wall of this room can be seen painted in red. It contains a painted hunting scene, wherein dogs are seen chasing a boar and a deer. Another painting shows a man with the head of a dog, and archaeologists believe that this could be the Egyptian god Anubis, painted in a Romanized version.

The mysteries of the old-world never cease to exist, and it is only a matter of time before we find more such hidden treasures.