logo
From Roman London, a Jigsaw Puzzle for the Ages

From Roman London, a Jigsaw Puzzle for the Ages

New York Times6 days ago
The jigsaw puzzles that Han Li assembles at the Museum of London Archaeology, or M.O.L.A., are as bewildering as a Latin riddle. Mr. Li, a building-material specialist at the institution, has spent much of the year laying out 'thousands upon thousands upon thousands' of fragments of painted wall plaster that date to the early Roman occupation of the area around London, which began in A.D. 43.
Mr. Li's task would confound even jigsaw buffs. The cardboard puzzles familiar from summer camp had straight edges and corners, and you could work from the outside in. The delicate fragments that Mr. Li and his team of conservators are refashioning have irregular edges and form no apparent border.
Pieces are embellished with images of lyres, candelabras, flowers, white cranes and native plants. One is illustrated with the face of a woman in tears, recognizable by her Flavian-period (A.D. 69 to 96) hairstyle.
Four years ago, the plaster was recovered during an excavation at a construction site in Southwark, just south of the Thames. The scraps filled 120 assorted boxes. Mr. Li's job is to carefully arrange, categorize and restore the original artwork. The frescoes that have emerged, the most colossal of which measures 16 feet by 10 feet, were hidden from view for more than 1,800 years.
The museum's haul of discarded Roman-era plaster is the largest ever amassed in the English capital. Rob Symmons, the curator of the extravagant Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex, called the site 'a discovery of the first magnitude.' It is not unusual for painted wall plaster to be recovered from Roman archaeological sites, but rarely is it found in quantities that it was in Southwark, he said: 'Also, it's unusual for excavators to have the time and expertise to attempt reconstructions like the one that Han undertook.'
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How Tom Cruise & Ana de Armas' Relationship Is Reminding Fans of His Brief Romance With Sofía Vergara
How Tom Cruise & Ana de Armas' Relationship Is Reminding Fans of His Brief Romance With Sofía Vergara

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

How Tom Cruise & Ana de Armas' Relationship Is Reminding Fans of His Brief Romance With Sofía Vergara

Tom Cruise may have a new love interest — but longtime observers are getting déjà vu. The 63-year-old actor touched down in London this week with Ana de Armas, 37, arriving via private helicopter with her two dogs and former F1 driver David Coulthard in tow. While neither star has confirmed a romance, the jet-setting, the grins, and the lavish gestures are starting to look familiar. Cruise kept it casual in a navy T-shirt and jeans, waving enthusiastically as Ana followed behind in a Vermont sweatshirt and leggings, cradling her Maltese Elvis. Havanese pup Salsa trotted beside her. It looked like a cozy couple moment — and if you ask the internet, maybe something more. More from SheKnows Pamela Anderson & Liam Neeson Can't Keep Their Hands off Each Other - And Fans Are Losing It 'Tom has been showering Ana with gifts ever since they met,' a source told Daily Mail. 'It's his thing, he is thoughtful.' The gifts reportedly began with flowers and books — the latter of which has raised some eyebrows — then escalated to gold bracelets, designer clothes, and globe-hopping getaways. 'Probably the biggest gift he has given her is being able to go anywhere in the world at a moment's notice,' the insider added. 'She loves to travel.' Sound familiar? Cruise pulled the same moves with Sofía Vergara back in 2005, calling her constantly and sending flowers and chocolates after they met at a pre-Oscar party. According to reports, she was briefly dazzled — until she realized she was being 'auditioned' for a role that came with a conversion clause. The romance fizzled when she refused to leave her Catholic faith for Scientology. Cruise reportedly attempted to rekindle the romance back in 2023 with no luck. Cruise's reputation for orchestrated courtship isn't new. Between the Vergara chapter and the much-publicized relationship with Katie Holmes (who allegedly filed for divorce to protect daughter Suri from the Church), Cruise has kept his personal life meticulously private — but often telling in pattern. The Mission Impossible star and de Armas have known each other since Wasp Network in 2019 and are now filming Deeper, a supernatural thriller directed by Doug Liman. 'It's so much fun, and we're definitely working on a lot of things,' the Knives Out star teased in a May Good Morning America interview. 'Not just one but a few projects with Doug Liman and Christopher McQuarrie and, of course, Tom. And I'm so excited.' Are they just colleagues? Longtime friends? Or is Cruise, once again, trying to script something more? One thing's clear: the gifts are back. And fans who've seen this before are already predicting how the third act might play of SheKnows Actors Who You Forgot Have Impressive Singing Careers Too All About Conor Kennedy, RFK Jr.'s Private Son Who Was Once Linked to Taylor Swift 16 Times the Celebrity Death Rule of Threes Actually Happened Solve the daily Crossword

Beyoncé Reunites Destiny's Child For Final ‘Cowboy Carter' Tour Stop In Vegas
Beyoncé Reunites Destiny's Child For Final ‘Cowboy Carter' Tour Stop In Vegas

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Beyoncé Reunites Destiny's Child For Final ‘Cowboy Carter' Tour Stop In Vegas

As Beyoncé ended her latest tour, she returned to her Destiny's Child roots for a reunion with two of her ride-or-dies. During Saturday's final stop on her Cowboy Carter Tour in Las Vegas, the 35x Grammy winner brought out Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland for a performance of Bey's 2022 hit 'Energy' and the tour's buzzy mute challenge. More from Deadline Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour Ends Record-Breaking SoFi Run with Patriotic Ode to Black American Wild West Heritage Destiny's Child Reunites As Beyoncé And Kelly Rowland Visit Michelle Williams On Broadway Jenny Slate On Emotional Journey To First Emmy Nomination For 'Dying For Sex': "I Knew Enough About Myself To Let It All Go" The trio entered to their 2000 single 'Independent Women', strutting the stage to 2004's 'Lose My Breath'. They also treated the audience to a medley of their songs that concluded with their 2001 pop culture anthem 'Bootylicious'. 'Give it up for Destiny's Child!' Beyoncé told the audience as Williams and Rowland exited the stage. Although Bey and Rowland previously reunited to support Williams during her Broadway run in the Death Becomes Her musical in November, this weekend marked their first time performing together since their surprise reunion at Coachella in 2018. Following the release of her debut country album Cowboy Carter in March, Beyoncé embarked on the accompanying tour the next month Inglewood, having since played 32 shows across the US, London and France. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About Season 3 Of 'Euphoria' So Far

Are Tom Cruise & Ana de Armas Hitting Pause? New Setback Sparks Fresh Questions
Are Tom Cruise & Ana de Armas Hitting Pause? New Setback Sparks Fresh Questions

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Are Tom Cruise & Ana de Armas Hitting Pause? New Setback Sparks Fresh Questions

Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas may have hit a road bump with their rumored romance, but the obstacle might be a surprising turn of events. In February, the two actors sparked dating rumors after being spotted together in London. After that outing, they were together more and more often — Valentine's Day, her birthday, certainly not minor moments. While a People source claimed that Cruise and de Armas were 'just friends,' it was hard for them to shake the dating stories. It got even more difficult when Cruise gushed to Extra about her work in the John Wick spinoff, Ballerina. More from SheKnows LeAnn Rimes Opens up About Her Affair With Eddie Cibrian: 'I Know What I'm Responsible For' '[Ana is a] very, very talented, great dramatic actress, comedic, tremendous ability, learns quickly,' he praised her. The duo kept their focus on a movie they hoped to get off the ground together: Deeper. Unfortunately, it looks like the project hit a major snag. According to Puck News, Warner Bros. passed on making the very expensive film. The 63-year-old action star wants a budget of $275 million, but the studio balked at that number. Now, Cruise and his team are scrambling to find another studio to finance his project with de Armas. Their film might be temporarily derailed, but Us Weekly sources seem to think that a 'low-key' romance is brewing between them. They described it as 'still new and in the early stages' in May. Given Cruise's high profile, 'their romance is definitely on the down low,' per the insider. They also revealed that it was Cruise's ex-girlfriend Penelope Cruz who gently nudged him in a romantic direction. De Armas didn't offer much to Good Morning America during a visit in May — she kept her answers about Cruise rather vague. 'It's so much fun,' she told the media outlet about their possible film. 'We're definitely working on a lot of things, not just one but a few projects. I'm so excited.' Well, it's not much, but it was something. Cruise and de Armas appear to have things brewing on the personal and professional front, even with the unexpected business of SheKnows Amber Heard's Entire Dating History: Johnny Depp, Elon Musk, & More 11 of Prince William & Kate Middleton's Biggest Relationship Controversies 13 Celebrities Who Secretly Welcomed Children During Affairs Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store