Pompeii archaeologists discover ancient tiny house with elaborate frescoes

Archaeologists in Pompeii unearthed a rare tiny home while excavating the site of the ancient Italian city, officials said. The home was buried beneath the ash and debris that wiped out Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. but elaborate frescoes painted onto its interior walls have remained largely intact.

The house came into view during an ongoing construction project in one section of Pompeii Archaeological Park called Insula dei Casti Amanti, or House of Chaste Lovers, the park said in a translated announcement. Its size was uncommonly small compared with others found in Pompeii, including some situated close by, and adding to the intrigue is the fact that it contains such lavish art inside.

The frescoes mainly depict scenes from classic mythology. One well-preserved painting of Hippolytus and Phaedra, two characters from a Greek tragedy, gave the home its provisional name, the House of Phaedra. Hippolytus and Phaedra also appear in a small painting found elsewhere in the house.