News Summary

• The Memento Mori mosaic was found in a Roman house that doubled as a shop in Pompeii.
• The mosaic, which was excavated in 1874, measures 18.5 by 16.1 inches (47 by 41 centimeters) In the middle of the mosaic is an obvious skull, but the rest of the imagery is often overlooked.
• This juxtaposition suggests that power and wealth on the one hand are in perfect balance with poverty on the other, the National Archaeological Museum of Naples says.