Painted Vault Revealed at Villa Near Pompeii

News June 3, 2020

(Pompeii Archaeological Park)
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Pompeii Civita Giuliana Painting
(Pompeii Archaeological Park)

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."

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