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In the countryside around Nola, near Naples, the ruins of the ancient villa lie at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. STORY-LINE: Frescoes of Nereids (sea nymphs) and Triton (sea god) colour the roof of the apse which has only recently been uncovered. The treacherous volcano, Vesuvius spewed lava and ash all over this villa in the eruption of 472 AD. After 13 years of excavations, and on the anniversary of Vesuvius's earlier, 79 AD eruption - the archaeological site has opened to reveal the treasures hidden below. Here, a tired and ailing Augustus is believed to have stopped to rest on one of his return journeys to Rome, according to ancient historians Tacito and Svetonio, before he died on 19th August 14 AD. On his last day, they say, he called for a mirror to tidy his hair, before urging his close friends to gather around and asking them whether he had performed his role of emperor well, in a phrase used by actors at the time: "Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit". "Augustus became the master of the world at a very young age. At 72 years old, which compared to the average lifespan of a Roman made him more like over 100, he's tired," says head archaeologist Antonio De Simone, adding that he "spends the last years of his life travelling or staying in houses which are outside Rome." And "even though he has more beautiful and important villas in the area," the elderly emperor preferred to spend his last days in the Nola residence. Perhaps aware his hours were numbered, he stopped in the place where his father, politician Gaius Octavius, had died years before. Augustus had in fact been left an orphan at just four years old, but was taken under the wing of his great uncle Julius Caesar. And thanks to him, he distinguished himself from a young age in battle, kicking off a rise to the top which, thanks in part to a civil war, would see him hold on to the seat of power for 44 years, more than any other emperor. But despite his fame, the place he may have spent his last days was forgotten until the 1930s when farmers digging their land uncovered one of the villa's walls. The excavations had to be stopped almost immediately, however, because of a lack of money. In 2002, the digs could finally restart thanks to a project run and paid for by Tokyo University and Italian researchers lead by Professor De Simone. Columns, frescoes and mosaics emerged from the earth, revealing what was once the entrance hall and a few reception rooms in a huge villa that overlooked a valley and was roofed with terracotta tiles. There are also statues, earthenware amphoras used for wine and a wall from the Augustan period that the archaeologists say make it likely to be the villa described by historians. The amphoras also divulged another secret: in the 1st century AD wine was produced here from the surrounding vineyards and some 100 thousand litres of it was stored here at a time. Based on that, the archaeologists believe the villa could be much larger than the 2,000 metre square (approx 21,520 square foot) area excavated so far, covering up to 20,000 square metres (approx 215,200 square feet). As the digs continue, each new discovery throws light not only on Rome's greatest emperor but also the villa itself, which appears to have been inhabited and modified several times over the centuries. The work is helping historians fill in some of the gaps in this period, says De Simone. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/5835b90b1ccc2a0fd31440cc1b7745fa