Secret Chamber: Archaeologists find opening decorated with centaurs and a sphinx inside Nero's palace in Rome. Pictures inside

Archeologists have chanced upon an underground chamber decorated with ims of panrs, centaurs and a sphinx in remains of a vast palace built by  Emperor Nero in Rome.  team came across an opening leing to a room covered with depictions of mythical creatures including centaurs and god Pan, officials from Colosseum archeological park, supervising work infomed on Friday.

(Source: Parco archeologico del Colosseo official website)

archaeologists have dubbed chamber, which will require excavation with much of it buried and just its vault currently visible, Sala della Sfinge, or Room of Sphinx and say it is a significant discovery.

find offers a tantalising glimpse into " atmosphere of 60s of first Century in Rome," Colosseum officials said, ding that what could be seen of vault was "very visible and fairly well preserved."

(Source: Parco archeologico del Colosseo official website)

Set against a white background can be seen "red-edged squares finessed with yellow-ochre lines and golden bands punctuated by a dense series of floral elements," officials said. Each of tiles depicts different s of animal form -- from panrs to birds, centaurs and a sphinx, while ors show musical instruments.

archaeologists were working on a nearby area of complex set beneath a hill next to Colosseum in ancient Rome's historic centre when y chanced upon chamber.

Architects and archaeologists secured site once home to a gigantic landscaped palace and consolidated frescoes with a view to embarking upon a furr st of excavation to reveal room in its full splendour.

Built between 64 and 68, immense complex, which or Roman emperors later built on, comprises buildings, gardens and an artificial lake.

(Source: Parco archeologico del Colosseo official website)

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After Nero, who legend has it played fiddle during 64 fire which laid waste much of centre of Roman Empire, died in 68, his successors tried to destroy races of his rule. Emperor Trajan h Domus Aurea covered over with soil and built baths over it while Vespasian set in train construction of Colosseum where ornamental lake h been.

In intervening centuries, much of site was abandoned and today only few traces remain visible of what was a huge estate and of which only a fraction has been excavated with much of it lying under today's modern bustling city.

Part of site was discovered by Renaissance artists including Raphael, some of whom mand to slide down on ropes and squeeze mselves through a hole in ceiling to gaze upon magnificent frescoes which would inspire ir own works.