A 2,000-year-old mosaic featuring vibrant images of dolphins and fish has been unearthed at the Wroxeter Roman City site in Shropshire. The mosaic was found during excavations aimed at locating the city’s primary civic temple near Shrewsbury.
“It’s always an astonishing moment when you uncover a fragment of beauty hiding just below the ground”
Win Scutt of English Heritage expressed surprise at finding a stunning, well-preserved mosaic hidden for millennia, as the team had been focused on locating the temple walls.
He also remarked on the thrill of unearthing a hidden piece of history beneath the soil. The archaeologists noted that the mosaic, likely commissioned by a prominent and affluent individual, dates back to the early days of the city’s establishment.
Ancient Finds Reveal Glimpses of Early Wroxeter
The excavation team also uncovered coins, pottery, and a painted plaster wall adjacent to the mosaic, which experts believe will provide valuable insights into the city’s timeline and historical activities. To ensure its preservation, the excavation site has been carefully reburied. Wroxeter, originally called Viroconium Cornoviorum, was founded in the 90s AD.
It contained a civic bathhouse, market place, county hall and judicial centre as well as more than 200 houses.
Currently, the city’s above-ground remnants consist of a few ruined structures, maintained by English Heritage. The excavation project was a joint effort involving English Heritage, the University of Birmingham, Vianova Archaeology and Heritage Services, and Albion Archaeology.
Source: English Heritage
Similar Mosaic Discoveries Across Roman Britain and Europe
This mosaic is part of a broader tapestry of Roman art uncovered in various sites across Britain and Europe. Similar mosaics, depicting intricate designs and vibrant colours, have been found. In July, archaeologists uncovered a grand structure along the city’s main road, along with a shrine or mausoleum that could have been dedicated to a prominent figure.
In March 2023, Oxford Archaeology uncovered a “fantastic” Roman mosaic during a survey of land in Olney, Buckinghamshire, ahead of an Aldi store construction. The mosaic,
featuring vivid colours and detailed designs, indicates that the site was likely home to a Roman villa and bathhouse.
In 2021, a Roman villa complex was unearthed beneath a field in Leicestershire, UK, revealing a rare mosaic depicting scenes from Homer’s The Iliad. This mosaic is unique in the UK and among a few in Europe, marking it as one of Britain’s most significant Roman discoveries. The complex, thought to belong to a wealthy individual from the late Roman period, includes various structures and buildings surrounding the remarkable mosaic.
Source: Oxford Archaeology
