Roman house discovered in Israel

The outdoor Roman house dates from the late 1st and early 2nd centuries CE. The remains of the building can be found in the ancient region of Omrit, in the north of Israel.

The floor of the building was covered with plaster and the walls with elaborate frescoes. The paintings show idyllic scenes with trees, plants, fish, and two ducks.

Scientists suspect that the house may have belonged to a Roman official or that the local rich man brought a Roman fresco to his villa. The team of archaeologists on the site of the discovery also found several phallus-shaped amulets, which in Roman times brought good luck and protected against charms.