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‘Pompeii pizza’ fresco shows a flatbread with items on top. Source: Parco Archeologico Pompeii

Archaeologists Excavating In Pompeii Find Ancestral Pizza Revealed in Fresco

Earlier this year, a team of archaeologists delved into some delicious secrets hidden within the volcanic tomb that is Pompeii. Guess what? They have uncovered a fresco showcasing what looks like an...
Home owner Luke Budworth posing with the frescoes in York and the life-size reproduction produced by Historic England. Source: Luke Budworth

Kitchen Remodel Reveals Rare 400-Year-Old Frescoes in York

In what has been dubbed an “exciting discovery,” workers revamping a kitchen and installing new cabinets in York unexpectedly stumbled across 17th century frescoes on the walls. The home was owned by...
One of the long sides of the Hagia Triada Sarcophagus, showing Minoan burial practices  Source: Deyan Vasilev / CC BY SA 3.0

Magnificent Hagia Triada Sarcophagus Reflects Minoan Death Culture

One of the most fascinating of the many discoveries to come from the island of Crete is the Hagia Triada Sarcophagus. This beautiful ancient artifact was discovered in 1903 in a chamber tomb in Hagia...
Drawing of the Six Kings of the Earth fresco at Qasr Amra. Source: Public domain

The Enigmatic Six Kings of the Earth Fresco Uncovered

Discovered in a crumbling desert castle located in modern-day Jordan, a fresco known as the “Six Kings of the Earth” provides a curious glimpse into the early medieval Islamic world . It is...
Artifacts unearthed during excavations at the Library House in Pompeii point to work being done painting frescos at the time of the volcanic eruption. Source: Pompeii Archaeological Park

Evidence of Fresco Painting Uncovered at Library House in Pompeii

Recent restoration work in ancient Pompeii has uncovered evidence that work was being carried out at the Library House, or Casa della Biblioteca , when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, reports...
Brick fresco in one of the Yuan Dynasty tombs discovered in Jinan, China. Source: Jinan Archaeological Research Institute

Cluster of Yuan Dynasty Tombs with Stunning Brick Murals Found in China

Archaeologists working in Jinan, Eastern China, have concluded excavations of a series of tombs in advance of development in the area. Among the most exciting aspects of the dig was the discovery of...
Wow! Stunning Pompeii Hunting Fresco Refreshed By Lasers

Stunning Pompeii Hunting Fresco Restored With Laser

A 2,000-year-old painted hunting scene discovered in Pompeii has been painstakingly restored with lasers. However, this Pompeii fresco is not restricted to Roman hunting scenes, but also a range of...
Farmers in Inner Mongolia discovered this ancient fresco depicting Khitans playing music. Source: Xinhua

Tomb Murals Show Life of the Khitans, A War-Torn Lost Culture

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of northern China includes the rolling green steppes, an arid desert through which the Great Wall of China courses, the Hulunbuir grasslands which are a vast...
Gladiator fresco found in Regio V, near Pompeii. Credit: Pompeii Archaeological Park

Gory Fresco of Gladiator Fight Found in Sleazy Pompeii Tavern

Archaeologists in Pompeii have unearthed a well-preserved fresco in a gladiators’ tavern illustrating the end of a fight in gory detail. The fresco of two gladiators fighting was discovered beneath a...
The well-preserved, brightly colored fresco of Saint Alexis and Christ the Pilgrim. Source: ABC

Fresh Light Illuminates Brilliant Medieval Fresco Incarcerated For Centuries in Rome

A letter from 1965 alerted a curious historian to the existence of an interesting painting that was hidden in one of Rome’s many churches. Her discovery of the medieval fresco was a huge...
"Ladies in Blue" fresco at Knossos Palace, Minoan archaeological site in Crete, Greece.

Controversy Over the Ladies in Blue: Is Most Famous Fresco of the Minoans Just a Modern Interpretation?

The Ladies in Blue is the name given to a fresco from the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete. This fresco (or rather, fragments of it) was discovered during the excavation of the site by the...
The brightly colored Narcissus painting recently recovered in Pompeii.

An Outstanding Narcissus Painting is Found in Pompeii… Would it Have Pleased Him?

In mythology, Narcissus became so enraptured with his own handsome appearance the thought of never obtaining the beauty he saw reflected back at him led to his demise. His self-love story has...
Leda and the Swan fresco found at Pompeii

Steamy Fresco Discovered In Pompeii Bedroom Depicts The Seduction Of Queen Leda By A Swan

Archaeologists in Italy have discovered an “excellently" preserved and highly-colorful detailed fresco in an ancient Pompeii bedroom depicting an erotic scene in which a god disguised as a swan...
Phallus symbol in Pompeii, Naples, Italy

Dirty Pictures Discovered in an 1,800-Year-Old Men’s Loo Hold the Seeds Of ‘Locker Room’ Talk

Revealing images have been discovered on rare 1,800-year-old floor mosaics in a mens’ toilet in the coastal city of Antiochia ad Cragum in modern-day Turkey. The rare second-century mosaics were...
The frescos narrate everyday scenes of life in the town.

Bizarre Comical Frescoes Complete with Speech in a Lost Hybrid Language Found in Jordan Tomb

Archaeologists digging in Jordan have unearthed a Roman tomb decorated with colorful frescoes including ancient “comic writing bubbles” scribed in Aramaic using Greek letters. The remarkable...
Painting of Priapus found at Pompeii.

Priapus Fresco Tips the Scales in Pompeii

An archaeological dig at a prestigious residence on the slopes of Regio V, overlooking Via del Vesuvio in Pompeii , has unearthed “in elegantly decorated rooms” a fresco of Priapus, a god of Graeco-...
Frescos in the crypt of St. Agatha, including the outstanding inner chapel altar and fresco (center).

Excavation of the Maltese Catacombs of St. Agatha Revealed Some of the Finest 12th and 15th century Frescos in Europe!

Located just some 60 miles of the coast of Sicily, smack in the middle of the Mediterranean lie the Maltese Islands. The three small islands are Malta, it's sister island of Gozo and the small island...
Detail of the famous Minoan bull leaping fresco.

Taking the Bull by the Horns: The Perilous Minoan Practice of Bull-Leaping

If bull-leaping was a genuine practice in Bronze Age Minoan courts (estimated c.3200 BC-1100 BC), it was likely not nearly as fun as it appears in frescoes. Modern day professional matadors have...
In this fresco, Jesus is shown seated on a throne with his disciples at hand. The painting is in the Catacombs of St. Domitilla in Rome, which have been newly restored.

Burning off the Crust: New Laser Treatment Used to Clean Frescoes in Rome’s Largest 1600-year-old Catacomb Complex

Formerly blacked-out frescoes and ancient graffiti in some of Italy’s largest catacombs have been revealed using laser and scanner technology. Restorers, employed by the Vatican, have unveiled...
Painting of a scene around the River Nile in Egypt, found in Casa dell'Efebo

Archaeologists Discover Paintings of Ancient Egypt in a 2,000-Year-Old Villa in Pompeii

A team of archaeologists have discovered impressive paintings of Ancient Egypt in a Roman villa in Pompeii . The portraits clearly show the vast influence the Egyptian culture had in early Roman...
Origins of the Magnificent Florentine Cathedral Santa Maria di Fiore

Origins of the Magnificent Florentine Cathedral Santa Maria di Fiore

The city of Florence, known as Firenze in Italian, has long been recognized for its wealth and beauty. The heart of the city is its cathedral. This building is famous not only for its appearance, but...
The walls of the laundry and other buildings were damaged by World War II bombing.

2,000-Year-Old Public Laundry in Pompeii, Restored and Opened to the Public for the First Time

In Pompeii , the well-preserved Roman city inundated by hot volcanic gas and then covered with ash in 79 AD, experts have renovated and opened to public viewing several buildings, including a public...
A close-up shows part of one of the murals that may date back 4,600 years—well before the brush-stroke process of painting was known previously in China.

Brush strokes on very ancient murals may rewrite the history of art in China

Recent discoveries in the ruins of a prehistoric city may rewrite the history of art in China. Archaeologists working in the ruins of the Neolithic Shimao Ruins have identified mural fragments that...
The mural shows a woman plucking a harp. (Photo by the Arles Museum of Antiques)

A rare treasure of ancient Roman frescoes comparable to Pompeii has been unearthed in France

Archaeologists have excavated an ancient Roman villa in Arles, France, with fresco murals depicting a musician playing a harp, Dionysus and the entourage of Bacchus. Researchers say it is rare to...