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.

The narrative draws from the ancient Greek play The Bacchae, written by Euripides in 405 BCE, wherein Dionysus descends on Thebes seeking retribution for slander against him. The

The House of Thiasus got its name from the “thiasos,” or sacred procession, of Dionysus. The fresco matches the Second Style of Pompeian wall painting, which was prevalent between the 40s and 30s BC. This means the painting had already existed for over a century when the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD buried it under ash and pumice.

A downright bacchanalian frieze has just been unearthed in Pompeii, one so large it spans three walls of a massive banquet room.

A major new fresco has been unearthed in Pompeii depicting the procession of the god of wine Dionysus, with hunters, dancers and beautifully dressed women, site authorities announced Tuesday.

Archaeologists in Pompeii have uncovered rare, nearly life-sized frescoes that offer fresh insight into religious practices in the ancient city before it was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, the site said on Wednesday.