Very rare paintings depicting the god of wine unearthed in Pompeii 2,000 years after city was buried by ash and lava

An extremely rare cycle of paintings depicting a raucous ritual involving the god of wine has been unearthed in Pompeii, the ancient Roman city buried by volcanic ash and lava in A.D. 79, officials said Wednesday.

The world-famous site said it had excavated in recent weeks a nearly life-size frieze depicting the procession of Dionysus, the god of wine, painted on three sides of a large banquet room.

Known as a "megalography" from the Greek for "large painting," the frieze depicts a procession, with Dionysus joined by the bacchantes, his female followers. They are portrayed both as dancers or as hunters, with slaughtered animals on their shoulders.