
ROME, ITALY—Massimo Osanna, director general of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, announced that excavators working at the villa of Civita Giuliana, which is located to the north of the ancient city, unearthed a covered walkway, or cryptoporticus, according to an ANSA report. The vault of the structure had been painted with a black background and adorned with a white flower, and the word “Mummia,” thought to represent a young girl, was found scratched onto the wall, he added. The name suggests the villa may have belonged to the Mummii family, while a stable, three horses, and a military harness uncovered at the villa last year hint that the owner may have been a high-ranking member of the military. For more on ongoing excavations in the ancient city, go to "Digging Deeper into Pompeii's Past."