flying figures with a set of Apollo and the Muses and another with a frieze of still-life panels. The frescoes within the House of Julia Felix often depicted small-time merchants and the lifestyles of every day Pompeian citizens. The summer triclinium and baths were some of the most extravagant aspects of the house used by the tenants. The dining room was elegant and welcoming and like those of the wealthiest citizens of Pompeii who owned villas in the countryside and on the coast and overlooked the gardens that incorporated small pools and waterfalls. The fully equipped and elegant baths were intended for only respectable citizens of Pompeii. They must have been well-used, since most of the public baths in Pompeii were closed for repairs after the damage caused by in the earthquake of AD 62. In the large garden at the rear, fruit trees were enclosed in large squares formed by low wooden fences. Excavations The earliest known excavation was in 1755 under the direction of R.J de Alcubierre and his assistant K. Weber and was essentially treasure hunting, focussed on recovering valuable objects and paintings for the collection of the Bourbon royal family at Portici. The first skeleton of Pompeii was found here in 1748. The building was then reburied. Fortunately Weber drew a plan of the building, labelling where objects or paintings had been removed, which is priceless for reconstructing today the details of the decoration. Parts of the villa revealed during the first excavation were a taberna, luxurious baths, and richly decorated formal garden dining rooms. Another excavation during 1912–1935 uncovered a shrine and the façade of the building, the side facing the Via dell'Abbondanza. Between 1998–1999 some of the most important discoveries were made; a nymphaeum or grotto of nymphs with a water-stair fountain and triclinium was a modification after the earthquake of 62 AD. References J