England, Roman mosaic with dolphins and fish discovered

An unusual Roman mosaic has been uncovered in England, in the village of Wroxeter (Shropshire), where archaeological excavations conducted at the site of the Roman city of Viroconium (the fourth largest in Roman Britain, it stretched nearly 80 hectares within its walls and had an estimated population of about 15,000 people) have unearthed several remains: a possible shrine or mausoleum, a monumental roadside civic building, and hints of a temple. The excavations investigated an unexplored part of the site where remains from the Roman period lie almost completely underground.

Breaking the news of the discovery is Vianova Archaelogy , which is conducting the excavation along with the University of Birmingham and Albion Archaeology on behalf of the English Heritage Trust. Thirty archaeologists spent a month at the site between July and August: among them 20 student archaeologists and volunteers of all ages, while more than 1,000 people visited the excavation on guided tours to see what the archaeologists were doing and what they had found. The excavation was directed by Dr. Peter Guest (Vianova Archaeology), Dr. Roger White (University of Birmingham), and Mike Luke (Albion Archaeology).

The mosaic, the first to be discovered at Wroxeter since 1859, is from a room in a large townhouse, probably owned by a wealthy and powerful family, and is decorated with an aquatic scene with stylized dolphins and various types of fish. The lower parts of the wall of the mosaic room are intact and still have the original painted plaster. The mosaic probably dates to the 2nd century and has survived because the building was later remodeled, probably in the late 3rd or 4th century, when the room was filled with debris to raise the interior of the house (probably to accommodate the increased height of the adjacent streets).

The shrine or mausoleum was a small square stone structure with a central chamber. Originally it may have been several stories high and its outer walls were covered with painted plaster, part of which was still in place, meaning it would have been visible from miles away. If it had been a mausoleum, its chamber probably must have contained the remains of an important individual in Wroxeter’s earliest history, perhaps someone associated with the former legionary fortress or perhaps a founding father of the new town. The street-side public building ran along one of Wroxeter’s main streets opposite the town’s forum, was only 8 meters wide but at least 50 meters long. The interior was decorated with painted plaster and the floor had been raised on at least one occasion.

The block where the excavation took place is thought to have been the site of the city’s main public temple. No direct evidence of a temple has been found, but a number of complete and broken ceramic vessels from this part of the site may be evidence of offerings by worshippers to the deities worshipped here.

“This was a fantastic project to participate in and it was a privilege to be invited by English Heritage to excavate at such an iconic site as Wroxeter,” says excavation manager Peter Guest. “What we discovered this season exceeded all our expectations-no one would have thought that the Roman remains of Wroxeter would survive so incredibly well here. The mosaic is a truly enchanting thing and it was a pleasure to see it uncovered and cleaned up-it’s like looking at a 2,000-year-old aquarium frozen in stone! The shrine or mausoleum is another very special discovery because it would seem to date back to the earliest chapters of Wroxeter’s history as a Roman site, perhaps to the decades when it was a military base from which the conquest of the Celtic tribes in present-day Wales was launched. We have achieved great things this excavation season, all a testament to the dedication and hard work of our small team who lived and worked on site for 4 weeks, including professional archaeologists from Albion Archaeology and student archaeologists and volunteers from Cardiff University. We are very fortunate to have excavated at Wroxeter: each day produced wonderful new discoveries and the excitement was palpable. It was also great that so many people were able to visit the excavations and see what we were doing this summer.”

Roger White, co-director of the excavation, said, “After spending many years excavating and studying the Roman city of Wroxeter and its subsequent history, it was extremely exciting to be involved in such important new discoveries. We have long suspected that an important public building stood here, and although we now have confirmation, the building is in some respects puzzling to understand. This is not surprising, given the apparent size of this building, but the new knowledge is startling evidence of the wealth of the city’s founders, emphasized by the extraordinary survival of a multicolored mosaic and frescoed walls built in the first decades of the city’s existence. It is extremely rare to find both a mosaic and its associated plaster, and nothing like it has ever been found before in Wroxeter. Importantly, the site also provides scientific opportunities to understand how the Roman city became productive agricultural land for more than 1,500 years after its demise in the fifth century. This part of the city has never been excavated in modern times, and our research into the evidence from ancient excavations could offer insights into future soil evolution in light of climate change.”

“Albion Archaeology,” states Mike Luke, “was pleased to be a partner in such an important and successful project. Although our main area of work is in the East Midlands, I worked at Wroxeter with Roger White in excavations in the 1980s, so it was wonderful to be invited back. Albion Archaeology has provided highly qualified and experienced archaeologists to supervise fieldwork, train and inspire students who will become the next generation of archaeologists. It was also a pleasure to work with a number of English Heritage volunteers whose new experiences will build on their knowledge and passion for archaeology. Albion Archaeology has also contributed a range of technical services, which means that fieldwork and post-fieldwork activities will be carried out to the highest professional standards. Partnerships between commercial archaeological organizations like Albion Archaeology and research/training digs are surprisingly rare in Britain, but the benefits of such initiatives are enormous for all partners and participants.”

England, Roman mosaic with dolphins and fish discovered

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