Visitors to Pompeii will be able to experience a live dig next month in the ancient Roman town that was buried in Mount Vesuvius' catastrophic eruption in 79 A.D.
The site of the open-door excavation is the so-called House of the Chaste Lovers, a building that came to light in 1987 but which has always been closed to the public.
One of Pompeii's most beautiful buildings, the house lies on the north side of the Via dell'Abbondanza and derives its name from a figurative panel depicting a couple exchanging a chaste kiss.
It was actually the house of a rich baker -- indeed it boasts a large oven with millstones. According to the archaeologists, the oven suffered major cracking and had been plastered over. It was damaged again, probably by an earthquake, as signs of ongoing repair work testify.
"This is the first house being excavated in Pompeii after many years. Visitors will be able to observe the dig process as it happens. Several pieces of Pompeii's daily life are going to emerge," Marcello Fiori, Pompeii's emergency commissioner, said.
Visitors will be allowed to enter several sections of the 2,000-year-old house through suspended walkways, while other parts of the excavation yard will be protected by glass screens.
In a room at the back of the building, the archaeologists found seven skeletons of mules, suggesting that the poor animals were trapped in their stalls during the eruption.
In the garden, a large cistern, used to supply water to the bakery, has been excavated, along with mosaic floors and beautiful frescoes.
"This shows how the Pompeian society was alive and active at the time of tragedy," Antonio Varrone, the excavation director, said.
Pictures: Courtesy of Soprintendenza Archeologica Napoli e Pompei.
Tags: Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Rome, Archaeology, Conservation
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