ROME — 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 (Feb 26).

The discovery features a large-scale frieze that spans three walls of a banquet hall, presenting vivid imagery of the initiation rites for followers of Dionysus — the ancient Greek god of wine, fertility, theatre and religious ecstasy.

The initiation rituals, known as the Mysteries of Dionysus, were secretive religious rites dedicated to the god, promising spiritual enlightenment and possibly a blessed afterlife.