Archaeologists have uncovered ancient frescos in the Catacombs of Domitilla in Rome that show biblical scenes of Noah and his ark, Daniel and the lions, and Jesus and His apostles.

“These tombs represent the roots of our deepest identity, the roots of Rome and of Christianity,” Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the pontifical council for culture, said at a news conference Tuesday in Rome. The Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology oversees upkeep and preservation on many of Italy’s catacombs.

“When we started work, you couldn’t see anything — it was totally black.”

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The renovation process has been years in the making. Experts have restored 10 of the 70 chambers in these catacombs.

“Because burial within Rome’s walls was forbidden by law, all of the city’s catacombs are located on the outskirts of modern Rome, typically along major roadways,” travel website Viator notes of the Roman catacombs.

The Catacombs of Domitilla are located near the Appian Way. Renovators have recently unveiled images that date back to the early days of Christianity, from 1,600 years ago.

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“The Domitilla catacombs, named after a member of the Roman family that had commissioned the burial grounds, are the largest in Rome, stretching over 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) and descending four levels with 26,250 tombs, dating from the second to the fifth centuries,” Daniela Petroff of the Associated Press reported from Rome.

The Domitilla catacombs are believed to be the world’s oldest Christian cemetery.

“The newest restoration work was done on the chambers for the city’s bakers, who ran a lucrative state-supported industry of ferrying grain into Rome and making and distributing bread, which was considered something every Roman had a right to with a daily ration,” Catholic News Service reported.

Members of the media got an early view of the ongoing restoration process this week.

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“For centuries, the ceiling frescoes in the Catacombs of St. Domitilla were covered in a thick black layer of calcium deposits, algae and smoke from oil lamps,” The Daily Telegraph noted. “Laser instruments were used to burn away the dirt and deposits, leaving only the rich colors of the frescoes beneath.”

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The newly uncovered artifacts are housed in two burial chamber areas in parts of the catacombs not yet open for public viewing. A new museum housing artifacts from the tomb is expected to open to the public this month.

“When we started work, you couldn’t see anything — it was totally black,” Barbara Mazzei, who was in charge of the project, told The Daily Telegraph.

The beautiful artwork shows a mix of pagan symbols and early scenes from Christianity.

“The fresco is adorned with peacocks, which in pagan belief were symbols of the afterlife,” The Daily Telegraph added. “The crypts were painted around 360 AD — just a few decades after Christianity had been made legal by Emperor Constantine.”