NAPLES, ITALY—Massimo Osanna, superintendent for Pompeii, announced the discovery of public and private buildings that have not been seen since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. ANSA reports the excavations were undertaken to improve the stability and prevent collapses in the Regio V area of the ancient city. The discovery of the buildings, gardens, and porticoes was a surprise, Osanna said. “And, for the first time as academics,” he added, “we have come across objects, plasterwork, and frescoes that have never been restored, that are in their original shape and color without having been tampered with in past restoration.” The soil from an area thought to have been a garden in antiquity will be analyzed as well as the contents of amphoras recovered from its southeastern corner. For more on Pompeii, go to “Food and Wine Gardens: Pompeii, Italy.”
