Museum of London Archaeology—Archaeologists from MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) have uncovered an incredibly well-preserved mosaic that once decorated the floor of a Roman dining room. Discovered a stone’s throw away from The Shard, experts have determined this to be the largest area of Roman mosaic found in London for over 50 years. Excavations on the site have been taking place ahead of the construction of The Liberty of Southwark, a mixed-use scheme that is being jointly developed by regeneration specialist U+I (now owned by Landsec) and Transport for London (TfL). Once completed, the Liberty of Southwark will provide new homes, shops, retail and workspace.
The recently uncovered mosaic includes two highly-decorated panels made up of small, colored tiles set within a red tessellated floor. The largest panel shows large, colorful flowers surrounded by bands of intertwining strands – a motif known as a guilloche. There are also lotus flowers and several different geometric elements, including a pattern known as Solomon’s knot, made of two interlaced loops. Dr David Neal, former archaeologist with English Heritage and leading expert in Roman mosaic, has attributed this design to the ‘Acanthus group’ – a team of mosaicists working in London who developed their own unique local style.
