Archaeologists Unveil Christian Frescoes in Rome's St. Domitilla Catacombs
Archaeologists have uncovered ancient frescoes hidden under centuries of dirt and grime in one of the largest catacombs in Rome, Italy.
The 1,600-year-old frescoes under the ceiling of the catacombs in St. Domitilla were revealed after experts used the latest form of laser technology to clean them up from centuries of dirt and soot that covered the paintings, The Telegraph reported.
The newly restored frescoes depicted the earlier pagan beliefs of people in the area and their introduction of the Christian faith during the fourth century A.D.
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Among the frescoes the archaeologists restored were those that showed a series of paintings that portrayed the grain trade in the region as it was transported by ship from the Mediterranean Sea to the port of Ostia in Rome and then moved to smaller boats for storage in the city.
The frescoes, which extend up to 12 kilometers according to The Daily Mail, also depicted an image of Jesus Christ flanked by two men on his side. It remains unclear whether the men painted were St. Peter and St. Paul or if it were St. Achilleus and St. Nerius.
Barbara Mazzei, lead archaeologist for the restoration work, said it was the first time they used laser technology in restoring an ancient work of art.
"When we started work, you couldn't see anything – it was totally black," she revealed. "Different wavelengths and chromatic selection enabled us to burn away the black disfiguration without touching the colors underneath."
She said had they manually tried to restore the frescoes, it would have spelled disaster and destroyed the paintings.
Mazzei noted that the paintings were a combination of pagan symbols and Christian images.
It was known that wealthy families in Rome during the fourth century A.D. were among the last ones in the region to accept the Christian faith, said the Vatican's Pontifical Commission on Sacred Archaeology superintendent Frabrizio Bisconti.
Meanwhile, Monsignor Giovanni Carru from the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Art said the frescoes are proof of the "difficult path the Romans walked on the way to their new faith."
More restoration works are set to be done in the catacombs before the site is opened to the public.
