Excavators working in the Roman-era city of Pompeii, Italy, have uncovered an ancient shrine surrounded by idyllic paintings of plants, snakes, and a lifelike peacock.

Massimo Osanna, the archaeologist in charge of the work, said in a telephone interview on Wednesday that the site was “exceptional,” citing not only “the incredible decoration of the wall painting” but also the fact that it was “very well preserved.”

The shrine, known as a lararium, is embedded in the wall of a house and is flanked by images of Roman gods central to household rituals. The room, along with the rest of the house, has not yet been completely excavated, but it also contains a garden and a small pool. Beneath the shrine, an altar holds traces of burned offerings from almost 2,000 years ago.

Shrines were a standard part of Roman households. “Every house had a lararium of some kind,” said Ingrid Rowland, a professor at the University of Notre Dame and the author of “From Pompeii: The Afterlife of a Roman Town.” But, she added, “only the wealthiest people could have afforded a lararium inside a special chamber with a raised pool and sumptuous decorations.”