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IN PICTURES: Spectacular house with colourful animal frescoes discovered in Pompeii

The Local Italy
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IN PICTURES: Spectacular house with colourful animal frescoes discovered in Pompeii
All photos in the article: Sergio Siano/Archaeological site of Pompeii

Archaeologists working at Pompeii continue to uncover incredible finds, 270 years since the remains of the ancient city were first discovered.

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The latest discovery is a newly unearthed house with brightly coloured animal frescoes, revealed at the site earlier this week.



The residence, which probably belonged to a member of Pompeii's upper class, has been named the House of Dolphins.

As well as the marine mammals that give the site its name, the house's frescoes also show several fish and birds, including a peacock, a partridge, and a parrot. Deer and mythical creatures are also depicted.

Excavations are currently underway in Regio V, a northeastern area of the archaeological park which had not been excavated since the immediate postwar period with some spots completely untouched.

The House of Dolphins was uncovered just a few days after an alleyway of grand houses with mostly intact balconies was found nearby. 

READ ALSO: Tourist damaged Pompeii mosaic by shifting tiles 'to get a good photo'

Just a week before that, archaeologists were able to cast the complete figure of a horse for the first time ever at the site.

And a month earlier, an excavation uncovered the complete skeleton of a young child in a bathhouse long thought to have been fully excavated. That find was the first time a complete skeleton has been discovered at Pompeii in some 20 years, and the first time a child's remains have come to light in around half a century.

The metres of ash that buried the city when Mount Vesuvius erupted meant intricate details were extremely well preserved.

The population of Pompeii is thought to have numbered around 10,000 and as well as the ornate houses, archaeologists have unearthed baths, a gym, and an amphitheatre in the city.

Many of the frescoes revealed on Tuesday were painted in characteristic 'Pompeii red', though in some cases experts believe this colour was created when gases from Vesuvius reacted with originally yellow paint. 

Today, Pompeii is one of the most popular attractions for visitors to Italy, and has UNESCO World Heritage status.

All photos: Sergio Siano/Archaeological site of Pompeii.

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