(Jerusalem Post) – Archaeologists in London have unveiled one of the largest collections of Roman frescoes ever discovered in the British capital, uncovering works of art that had been hidden for more than 1800 years. The team of experts painstakingly reconstructed thousands of plaster fragments, revealing magnificent decorations that once adorned a luxurious Roman villa in Southwark. The discovery testifies to the artistic sophistication and splendor of ancient Londinium.
An archaeological effort led by the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) reconstructed these frescoes. “This is one of the largest – if not the largest – collections of Roman plaster and wall paintings we have ever found in Roman London,” said Han Li, a building materials specialist at MOLA.
The villa dates from the 43st or XNUMXnd century, built shortly after the founding of London by the Romans in XNUMX AD, during a period of rapid development of the new city. Experts believe the grand building may have been the residence of a wealthy family or a type of hotel for wealthy travelers, reflecting the wealth of the area. The MOLA team described the site as the “Beverly Hills of Roman London,” highlighting its status as a rapidly developing wealthy suburb in the early Roman period.
The reconstruction revealed detailed murals depicting musical instruments, birds, flowers and carefully painted details. These designs were intended to reflect the status and refined taste of the building’s owners. In more than 120 boxes of painted fragments, archaeologists discovered what appears to be the first known example of a painting company in Roman Britain. The Latin word “fecit,” meaning “he or she did this,” was identified on one fragment, providing a tangible link to one of the artists behind the fresco.
Han Li explained the challenges of the reconstruction process.
“You have to be very careful because you can only put the pieces together a few times before the plaster gets damaged and starts to peel off,” Li said. “So you have to be almost certain before you put the pieces together that this one fits.” The task was complicated by the fragility of the old pieces, many of which were in danger of disintegrating into dust. Pieces from different walls had been mixed together during the building’s collapse, making the reconstruction akin to solving a very difficult puzzle.
The fragments were discovered in 2021 at a developing estate, Liberty, in Southwark, a 20-square-foot area that will eventually include apartments, restaurants, shops and offices. The area has also yielded other discoveries, including intricate mosaics and a rare Roman mausoleum, helping to understand London’s Roman history.
The frescoes revealed two features that had not been previously identified in Britain: an inscription in the Greek alphabet and a fragment containing traces of the artist’s undertaking. The team still hopes to find the missing piece, which would reveal the artist’s name.
“There is evidence of who the artists were, but their exact identities will remain a mystery until the missing piece of their names is found,” Li said. The artistic influences evident in the frescoes extend beyond Britain, drawing inspiration from wall decorations found in other parts of the Roman Empire, particularly from Lyon in France and Cologne in Germany. Scientists are comparing the frescoes with others discovered in Britain and Europe to see if the same artists may have worked elsewhere.
“Because of the large collection and completeness of our murals, we can now do much more internationally,” Li said. The area where the villa was found was described by Andrew Henderson-Scharf of MOLA as a vibrant and wealthy neighborhood in the early stages of the Roman period.
“In a sense, it was really a suburb for the very wealthy – like the Beverly Hills of Roman London,” Henderson-Scharf said.