Within the estate of Roman Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli, Italy, a 1900-year-old building was discovered.
If probably functioned as an apartment within the complex. Its mosaic floors preserved in a very good state and depict floral and abstract patterns. Other preserved decorations include marble panels, wall paintings, and an almost entire ceiling fresco.
The newly discovered building was likely used as an apartment by a high-ranking individual, but not someone who was part of the emperor’s closest entourage. The team from Columbia University in New York who is conducting the research carried out a mix of techniques, including radar scans, to see beneath the ground at the site, finding that the apartment is part of a larger un-excavated complex within Hadrian’s Villa. The building was not isolated. It was part of a broader group of structures.
The real inhabitants of the villa were the personnel and staff members that were there and maintained it, kept it clean and prepared it for the emperor when he came.
(after Live Science)