Gladiators on the wall: What charcoal graffiti tells us about the lost city of Pompeii?

In the latest discovery amid ongoing excavations in Pompeii, the archaeologists have now found two sets of human remains, different kinds of paintings, and some doodles made by children which were buried in a volcanic eruption.

In the 16th century, archaeologists discovered Pompeii and it has remained an active archaeological site to date. Because of the way in which the city was destroyed, it was entirely covered in ash released by Mount Vesuvius.

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The latest report of the team on the new discoveries waspublishedin the Pompeii Sites’ e-journal. Among these discoveries, what stood out for archaeologists was the frescoes of ancient gladiators.

Archaeologists decode child-drawn frescoes

As per the experts, it is believed that the children drew the sketches of gladiators on the walls after watching their battles at the amphitheatre of Pompeii.

The charcoal frescoes were discovered during excavations at I’Insula dei Casti Amanti, which is a group of homes located in Pompeii’s archaeological park which was opened for the public for the first time on Tuesday (May 28).

Meanwhile, other frescoes made on a long wall included the outline of three small hands, a hunting scene of an animal which looked like a boar, two people playing with a ball and two boxers lying on the ground.

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Director of Pompeii’s archaeological park Gabriel Zuchtriegel said the sketches were probably made by one or more children who played in a courtyard before the destruction happened after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79.

“Together with psychologists from the Federico II [university of Naples], we have come to the conclusion that the drawings of gladiators and hunters were made based on a direct vision, and not of pictorial models. They had probably witnessed battles in the amphitheatre, thus coming into contact with an extreme form of spectacularised violence," he said.

Meanwhile, Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said: “More and more, Pompeii is revealing wonderful new discoveries that confirm [the site] as an extraordinary treasure chest.”

The first excavations in Pompeii ruins started in 1748 and it is the world's second most visited archaeological site.

(With inputs from agencies)