Archaeology & History

'Tomb of Cerberus' unearthed by archaeologists in Italy

By T.K. Randall
October 11, 2023 ·  13 comments

Image Credit: Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape Said to guard the entrance to the Underworld, Cerberus - a terrifying three-headed dog - is undoubtedly one of the most iconic creatures in all of Greek mythology.

Depictions of this terrifying beast have been found across the ancient world and now it has been found again - this time in a fresco found on the wall of a newly unearthed tomb in Giugliano, Italy.

The discovery was made when archaeologists spotted a curious wall that had been built using an ancient Roman construction technique known as opus incertum.

This later turned out to be the front wall of the tomb which was sealed by a heavy slab.Inside, in addition to the fresco of Cerberus, they found a depiction of ichthyocentaurs - a centaurine-type sea god with the body of a human, the legs of a horse and the tail of a fish.

The tomb was extremely well-preserved and did not appear to have been disturbed since antiquity.

"The tomb has frescoed ceilings and walls in perfect condition, with mythological scenes that go all around the room and figurative representations among which, a three-headed dog stands out," said Mariano Nuzzo - superintendent of Naples' Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape.

"The emotion aroused by the privilege of such a discovery is indescribable."

Source: Mail Online | Comments (13)

Tags: Cerberus, Italy, Tomb