The ruined city of Pompeii was first spotted by an engineer in 1748, and to celebrate the 270th anniversary of the city’s rediscovery, archaeologists have made the exciting announcement that they have located buildings, gardens, and art in a new quarter of Pompeii that is known as the Regio V area.

Earlier this month, the Express had reported that in the north part of Pompeii, archaeologists were working on excavating a completely new area of the city that had never been examined before. With the use of lasers and drones, scientists explained that they were hopeful that these tools would make it easier to help reconstruct the Regio V area so that tourists could properly explore it in the future.

According to Massimo Osanna, who is in charge of the site, the use of this new technology will give visitors to this new area of Pompeii a much greater experience.

“We foresee great discoveries. The works have already allowed us to remove the post-ancient layers, reaching the remains of the eruption of 79 AD that incorporate the collapsed structures. The excavation will for the first time use techniques such as drones and laser scanners. It will allow us to reconstruct the buildings in three-dimensions. We will probably find the remains of the second floors of the buildings, so it will be important to document continuously all the excavation with cameras in order to complete the restoration.”

New Pompeii excavations a revelation! Can’t wait for images!https://t.co/FN9KpFDQTD — The Classics Library (@stephenjenkin) March 24, 2018

As Pliny the Younger wrote after witnessing the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD, “Darkness fell, not the dark of a moonless or cloudy night, but as if the lamp had been put out in a dark room.”

Much of the new Regio V area in Pompeii is just as it was on that fateful morning when the town was completely buried, and Osanna has remarked that archaeologists have found original frescoes and plasterwork that have remained untouched up until recently and still retain their natural colors, as ANSA reported.

“And, for the first time as academics, we have come across objects, plasterwork and frescoes that have never been restored, that are in their original shape and colour without having been tampered with in past restoration. Now we also have the opportunity to carry out conservation work using the most advanced techniques, materials and experiences.”

A large open area has been discovered outdoors, and archaeologists believe that this section of Regio V most likely would have served as a garden, citing the amphorae that have been found in this space.

Featured image credit: Giorgio Cosulich Getty Images

Also discovered in the newest section of Pompeii is a home known as a Domus that would have been owned by a very wealthy individual or family, and inside the building can be seen a painting of dolphins beside panels and frescoes.

When describing how this part of Pompeii was unearthed, Massimo Osanno stated that they were doing other archaeological work when they discovered the gardens, buildings, and art in the new quarter.

“Our aim was to resolve the instability of the excavation fronts in this area, which had a history of collapses. The work involved the reshaping of this part of the archaeological site. Then when we started digging we found remains of public and private areas, gardens and porticoes that we did not think we would find. It is the most important dig in the post-war period.”

It is unclear when the excavations and work will be completed in the new Regio V quarter of Pompeii, but with so many new things to marvel at it will certainly be worth the wait.