Ancient Roman firefighters' barracks may have been found near Colosseum

ROME, Aug 5 : Archaeologists have uncovered a second-century building with mosaics and frescoes near the Colosseum that may have been barracks used by ancient Roman firefighters, the city's archaeological office said on Wednesday.

Five of the building's eight rooms have been fully excavated in the Villa Celimontana park, a former noble residence dating back to the 16th century on the Caelian Hill, one of the seven hills of ancient Rome.

Archaeologists found a mosaic depicting a dolphin, a fish, a lobster and a crab surrounding a large two-handled vase, as well as the remains of a painted ceiling decorated with large red and blue circles.

The mosaic's design closely resembles one previously discovered in a firefighters' barracks in Ostia, the ancient port of Rome, about 30 km (19 miles) from the capital, the archaeological office said.

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