Uncovered in what was once a spacious banqueting hall that opened onto a garden, the frieze dates back to the 1st century BC, meaning it was nearly 100 years old when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying Pompeii in pumice and killing more than 2,000 inhabitants.

A century before the ancient city’s destruction, artists adorned the walls of a Pompeii banquet hall with a procession of Dionysian revelers. Brightly colored and nearly life-sized, the newly identified fresco figures dance,

A large fresco depicting scenes from the life of Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine, revelry, and theater, was unveiled to the public in the archaeological site of Pompeii, near Naples, Italy, on Wednesday (Feb.