New discoveries show what life was like for the ultra-wealthy in Ancient Rome after Pompeii excavation

Recent restoration projects in Pompeii have led to some spectacular new discoveries.Marco Cantile/LightRocket via Getty Images

• In the last few months, Pompeii archaeologists have announced many impressive findings.
• The announcements include an unusual fresco of a child and charcoal drawings of gladiators.

Before the Mount Vesuvius eruption buried it in ash and rocks, Pompeii's Region IX was a bustling region full of elegant homes, bakeries, and other shops.

This year, the Pompeii Archaeological Park unveiled several new discoveries from the area, including a stunning blue shrine, children's drawings of gladiators, and incredible fresco paintings.

"The new excavations give us a sense of how much still remains to be found," Caitlín Barrett, co-director of Cornell University's Casa della Regina Carolina (CRC) Project at Pompeii, told Business Insider.

Photos show some of these latest discoveries from Region IX, offering a glimpse into what life was like in Pompeii nearly 2,000 years ago. While much has changed over the millennia, some things, like dinner parties and kids' doodles, still seem familiar.