Subscribe now for full access and no adverts
Stylised dolphins and fish, in contrasting hues of red, blue, and yellow, swim across a sea of white tesserae. This striking mosaic was uncovered during excavations at Wroxeter Roman City (ancient Viroconium) in a collaborative effort by the University of Birmingham, Vianova Archaeology & Heritage Services, and Albion Archaeology, on behalf of English Heritage. Located in the centre of the city, the project’s trenches investigated an unexplored part of the site and revealed remarkable evidence for town life in Roman Britain almost 2,000 years ago, including a possible shrine or mausoleum, a monumental roadside civic building, and tantalising hints of a nearby temple.
The mosaic lay within a previously unknown townhouse, which would probably have been owned by a wealthy family. This is reflected in the domicile’s decoration: in the room of the aquatic mosaic, the lower parts of the wall are intact and still bear their original painted plaster. The decor probably dates to the 2nd century, just after Wroxeter was founded. Building debris from a late 3rd- or 4th-century remodelling of the house – most likely intended to raise the interior to match the increased height of the adjacent street – preserved the mosaic for over 1,500 years, before this summer’s investigations brought it to light once more.
Watch this space for a fuller exploration of the excavations in a future issue of CA.
Text: Rebecca Preedy / Image: Heritage Innovation
