Roman ‘jigsaw' reveals 2,000-year-old wall paintings
An excavation has revealed one of the largest collections of painted Roman wall plaster to be discovered in London.
Archaeologists have spent four years working on thousands of fragments of shattered plaster discovered at a site in 2021 in Southwark, near London Bridge station and Borough Market.
The researchers have pieced together the artwork of a high-status Roman building.
It is believed the frescoes decorated at least 20 internal walls between AD 40 and 150, before the building was demolished and the wall plaster dumped into a pit before the start of the third century.
The reconstruction of the wall art has shed further light on high society in Roman Britain.
The paintings display yellow panel designs with black intervals, decorated with images of birds, fruit, flowers and lyres. They demonstrate both the wealth and taste of the building's owners, according to the excavation team at the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola).
Yellow panel designs were scarce in the Roman period, and repeating yellow panels found at the site in Southwark were even scarcer, making the discovery extremely rare.
Among the fragments is rare evidence of a painter's signature – the first known example of this practice in Britain.
Framed by a 'tabula ansata', a carving of a decorative tablet used to sign artwork in the Roman world, it contains the Latin word 'fecit', which translates to 'has made this'.
But the fragment is broken where the painter's name would have appeared, meaning their identity will likely never be known.
Unusual graffiti of the ancient Greek alphabet has also been reconstructed – the only example of this inscription found to date in Roman Britain.
The precision of the scored letters suggests that it was done by a proficient writer and not someone undertaking writing practice.
It took three months for Han Li, a Mola senior building material specialist, to lay out all the fragments and reconstruct the designs to their original place.
He said: 'This has been a 'once-in-a-lifetime' moment, so I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness when I started to lay the plaster out... The result was seeing wall paintings that even individuals of the late Roman period in London would not have seen.'
Work to further explore each piece of plaster continues.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Cellar unearthed beneath America's oldest Black schoolhouse reveals artifacts
Archaeologists at William & Mary University in Virginia unearthed a piece of American history tied to the oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children. A near-complete foundation - including a chimney base - and cellar were excavated, The Associated Press (AP) reported. The building belongs to the Williamsburg Bray School, which taught mostly enslaved students in the 1760s using a religious framework to justify slavery. The Williamsburg Bray School was later transformed into a dormitory for some of the first women to attend college. William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research, Tom Higgins, said the cellar "was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid" as it was not lined with bricks, reported AP. Artifacts found from the 18th century through the mid-20th century are not known to connect to the school. Recovered artifacts such as buttons and a slate pencil from the 18th century will be researched to determine their origins and connections. Katherine Rowe, William & Mary's president, said, "The roots of our city and university entwine here." "Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century," she added, according to AP. The structure was discovered in 2020 by historians and is being restored by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Fox News
Secret cellar unearthed beneath America's oldest Black schoolhouse reveals artifacts
Archaeologists at William & Mary University in Virginia unearthed a piece of American history tied to the oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children. A secret cellar was found with many artifacts such as slate pencil fragments and jewelry, The Associated Press (AP) reported. The building belongs to the Williamsburg Bray School, which taught mostly enslaved students in the 1760s using a religious framework to justify slavery. The Williamsburg Bray School was later transformed into a dormitory for some of the first women to attend college. William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research, Tom Higgins, said the cellar "was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid" as it was not lined with bricks, reported AP. Handmade ceramics associated with sites of enslavement and a shard of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts, were also found. Katherine Rowe, William & Mary's president, said, "The roots of our city and university entwine here." "Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century," she added, according to AP. The structure was discovered in 2020 by historians and is being restored by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Roman ‘jigsaw' reveals 2,000-year-old wall paintings
An excavation has revealed one of the largest collections of painted Roman wall plaster to be discovered in London. Archaeologists have spent four years working on thousands of fragments of shattered plaster discovered at a site in 2021 in Southwark, near London Bridge station and Borough Market. The researchers have pieced together the artwork of a high-status Roman building. It is believed the frescoes decorated at least 20 internal walls between AD 40 and 150, before the building was demolished and the wall plaster dumped into a pit before the start of the third century. The reconstruction of the wall art has shed further light on high society in Roman Britain. The paintings display yellow panel designs with black intervals, decorated with images of birds, fruit, flowers and lyres. They demonstrate both the wealth and taste of the building's owners, according to the excavation team at the Museum of London Archaeology (Mola). Yellow panel designs were scarce in the Roman period, and repeating yellow panels found at the site in Southwark were even scarcer, making the discovery extremely rare. Among the fragments is rare evidence of a painter's signature – the first known example of this practice in Britain. Framed by a 'tabula ansata', a carving of a decorative tablet used to sign artwork in the Roman world, it contains the Latin word 'fecit', which translates to 'has made this'. But the fragment is broken where the painter's name would have appeared, meaning their identity will likely never be known. Unusual graffiti of the ancient Greek alphabet has also been reconstructed – the only example of this inscription found to date in Roman Britain. The precision of the scored letters suggests that it was done by a proficient writer and not someone undertaking writing practice. It took three months for Han Li, a Mola senior building material specialist, to lay out all the fragments and reconstruct the designs to their original place. He said: 'This has been a 'once-in-a-lifetime' moment, so I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness when I started to lay the plaster out... The result was seeing wall paintings that even individuals of the late Roman period in London would not have seen.' Work to further explore each piece of plaster continues. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
