Archaeological Puzzle Solved

The researchers in London have recently announced that a huge "archaeological puzzle" was solved, and works of art that have been hidden for 1,800 years have been uncovered.

The Discovery

The Museum of London Archeology announced that one of its experts successfully reconstructed a collection of Roman Wall Plaster. The collection of the painted old plaster is the largest discovered in London, and it took an enormous amount of work. The decorated plaster was unloaded in a large pit that broke into thousands of fragments.

Reconstruction Process

It took three months for the expert to summarize all fragments and carefully reconstruct the designs. The mosaic once decorated a Roman building with a high status in the Central London District in Southwark. The building was demolished some time before 200.

The Roman Building

These beautiful frescoes were once decorated about 20 inner walls of an early Roman building. The fresco was designed in such a way that it was supposed to demonstrate the property of the owner and his good taste. Now, for the first time in over 1800 years, these living works of art can be reconstructed to reveal their full fame.

The Fresco

The fresco contains "yellow panel designs with black intervals with pictures of images of birds, fruit, flowers, and lyres". Finding repeated yellow fields like this is rare, and while the panel designs were common in the Roman period, yellow boards were not. They were identified in a few locations across the country.

The Artist’s Signature

Tragically, the fragment is broken, where the painter’s name would have been published, which means that the artist’s identity will probably never be known. The signature is framed by a tabula Ansata, a carving of a decorative tablet with which works of art in the Roman world were signed.

Graffiti and Other Discoveries

Like many old Roman discoveries, the mosaic also showed some graffiti that were left behind by the owners and visitors. Among the graffiti was a drawing of a crying woman with a pronounced Flavian period and the Greek alphabet. These examples in Italy indicate that the alphabet served a practical use, such as a checklist, a balance sheet, or a reference.

Expert’s Reaction

In an explanation, the archaeologist described the discovery as "once in a lifetime". Many of the fragments were very delicate, and parts from different walls were mixed up when the building was torn down, so it was as if you were putting together the most difficult puzzle in the world. The expert felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness when starting to lay out the plaster.

Significance of the Discovery

The discovery of the Roman fresco in London offers a lively insight into the era when the Romans ruled Great Britain, from 43 AD to 410 AD. They gave up their presence in Great Britain for almost four centuries before they were withdrawn in 410 AD, and many remains of their power and influence are found today.