Nearly 2,000 years after Pompeii was destroyed by a volcanic eruption, the ancient Roman city is still giving up its long-buried secrets. Fantastic frescos, preserved mosaics and historic graffiti were among the discoveries emerging from the largest archaeological dig at the site since the 1950s.

As teams of construction workers shore up mounds of earth pressing down on the excavated areas to prevent them crushing the ruins, archaeologists and conservationists are busy restoring newly-discovered art and bolstering fragile walls.