“Tomb of Cerberus”: an ancient tomb discovered in Italy (4 photos)

A tomb with a fresco depicting Cerberus, the three-headed dog from ancient Greek mythology, was discovered in the suburbs of Naples. The burial chamber is about 2 thousand years old and contains remains and many valuables.





The find was made during archaeological research carried out before the start of repairs to the city's water supply system.

Previously, scientists discovered in the same territory a large number of burials dating back to the period of the Roman Republic (510-31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC - 476 AD).

The vaults and walls of the tomb have preserved many frescoes in almost their original form.



Particular attention was drawn to the three-headed dog guarding the gates of the underworld, so the tomb was nicknamed the “Tomb of Cerberus.”

Other mythological figures depicted on the walls include ichthyocentaurs - sea creatures with the upper body of a man, the lower front of a horse and the tail of a fish. On the hand of each of them is an eros - a winged cupid-like baby associated with love and sexual desire.





To get inside the burial chamber, archaeologists had to carefully remove the tiles covering the ceiling opening, allowing them to make an "unprecedented" discovery.

“The tomb contains frescoes on the vaults and walls, mythological scenes around the entire perimeter and images, among which the three-headed dog stands out,” said Mariano Nuzzo, superintendent of archaeology, fine arts and landscape of Naples.

Nuzzo added: “Three painted altars with vessels, the deceased on a funeral bed with valuable objects - all this completes the picture of a find unprecedented for this area.”



Excavation of most of the tomb is currently ongoing without damaging its contents.