Puppy paws on the walls: ancient house featured unusual decorations
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Sardis found a 1,500 year-old-house in fantastic shape. Not only is the house excellently preserved, but its tiles were decorated with puppy prints and chicken decorations.
The archaeologists discovered a dog paw print on one of the house’s terracotta floor tiles. Image credit: Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College.
It’s not as well-known as the likes of Athens or Rome, but in its heyday, the ancient city of Sardis would have rivalled them. During the Iron Age, Sardis was the capital of the ancient Lydian Empire in today’s Turkey. The city flourished for centuries, from the time of Alexander the Great and well into the Roman period, leaving behind numerous structures and artefacts that researchers have been excavating for decades.