Archaeologists excavating new sites in Pompeii uncover sumptuous banquet hall

A banquet hall, with elegant black walls, decorated with mythological subjects inspired by the Trojan War, recently unearthed in the Pompeii archaeological area near Naples in southern Italy (Italian Culture Ministry/AP)

Archaeologists excavating new sites in Pompeii have uncovered a stunning banquet hall decorated with intricately frescoed mythological characters inspired by the Trojan War, officials said.

The hall, which features a mosaic floor, was uncovered as part of a project to shore up the areas dividing the excavated and unexcavated parts of Pompeii, the ancient city near Naples that was destroyed in AD 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted.