Protective mesures taken in order to ensure the safety of thetwo frescoes depicting human figures that were discovered Ščitarjevo

The Archaeological Museum in Zagreb secures (the Roman city of Andautonia), and which were most likely made at the end of the 1^st century. The frescoes were on display in the permanent exhibition of the Department of Classical Antiquity on the second floor of the Museum. Fortunately, during the earthquake of March 22, 2020, these frescoes were not damaged. However, due to possible further earthquakes and damage to the display area, on April 1, 2020, they were removed from their wall mounts and stored in specially designed protective covers. After packing, both frescoes were moved from the exhibit to a much safer area of the museum, the depot of the Department of Classical Antiquity.

It is a very rare and valuable find that shows that walls were decorated with figural representations as early as the 1^st century. The fragments of painted wall plaster were found during the 1989 archaeological excavations at the site of the thermal spa in Ščitarjevo. During conservation and restoration, two human figures (51 cm high) were assembled from the discovered fragments. These paintings most probably adorned the walls of a 1^st century tomb, and represent a dancer and a player who accompanied the god Dionysus. They are also among the most significant finds from the Roman city of Andautonia, a site that has been researched by the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb for over 50 years.