Archaeologists find street of balconies in Italy's Pompeii

ROME - AP

Archaeologists excavating an unexplored part of Italy's volcanic ash-covered city of Pompeii have discovered a street of houses with intact balconies that were buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Some of the balconies even had amphorae - the conical-shaped terra cotta vases that were used to hold wine and oil in ancient Roman times.

The culture ministry's Pompeii authority announced the discovery May 17. It said the balconies were a "complete novelty" for this part of the buried city, which hasn't yet been fully excavated. A statement said the balconies will be restored and the area included in a tour open to the public.

The city of Pompeii, near modern-day Naples, was famously covered in volcanic ash and pumice when nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted. Since its rediscovery in 1599, the remains of 1,500 victims and countless treasures have been uncovered in an exhaustively ongoing excavation.