Latest news with #MuseumOfLondon
Fox News
05-07-2025
- General
- Fox News
Archaeologist solves 'jigsaw puzzle' of Ancient Roman fragments hidden for nearly two millennia
Researchers in London recently announced that a giant "archaeological puzzle" has been solved, revealing artwork that's been hidden for 1,800 years. The Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) announced in a June 17 press release that one of its experts successfully reconstructed a collection of Roman wall plaster. (See the video at the top of this article.) The collection of painted ancient plaster is the largest ever discovered in London – and it took an enormous amount of work. "The decorated plaster was found dumped in a large pit, shattered into thousands of fragments," the museum's statement noted. "It took three months for MOLA Senior Building Material Specialist Han Li to lay out all the fragments and painstakingly piece the designs back together." The mosaic once decorated a high-status Roman building in the Central London district of Southwark, officials said. The building "was demolished some time before AD 200," MOLA's statement read. "These beautiful frescoes once decorated around 20 internal walls of an early Roman (AD 43-150) building," the museum noted. "These vibrant artworks can be reconstructed to reveal their full glory." "Now, for the first time in over 1800 years, these vibrant artworks can be reconstructed to reveal their full glory." Officials said the fresco was designed to show off the property owner's wealth, as well as its good taste. They noted the fresco includes "yellow panel designs with black intervals beautifully decorated with images of birds, fruit, flowers and lyres." "Finding repeating yellow panels like these is [rare] … While panel designs were common during the Roman period, yellow panels weren't," the museum said. "They have been identified at only a few sites across the country." "Tragically, the fragment is broken where the painter's name would have appeared." Historians also excitedly came across the remains of the artist's signature — though that identity is still lost to time. "[The signature] is framed by a tabula ansata, a carving of a decorative tablet used to sign artwork in the Roman world," the statement detailed. "It contains the Latin word 'FECIT,' which translates to 'has made this.'" "Tragically, the fragment is broken where the painter's name would have appeared, meaning the [person's] identity will likely never be known." Like many Ancient Roman discoveries, the mosaic also displayed some graffiti left behind by the owners and visitors. Among the graffiti was a drawing of a crying woman with a distinct Flavian period hairstyle, as well as the Greek alphabet. "[O]ther examples in Italy suggest that the alphabet served a practical use, such as a checklist, tally or reference," the museum said, noting that it's the only known example of its kind from Roman Britain. In a statement, archaeologist Han Li called the discovery a "once in a lifetime moment." "Many of the fragments were very delicate and pieces from different walls had been jumbled together when the building was demolished, so it was like assembling the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle." "I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness when I started to lay the plaster out," the expert recalled. "Many of the fragments were very delicate and pieces from different walls had been jumbled together when the building was demolished, so it was like assembling the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle." Li also remarked that "[not] even individuals of the late Roman period in London" would have seen the art, making the discovery particularly special. The discovery of the Roman fresco in London offers a vivid glimpse into the era when Romans ruled Britain, from 43 A.D. to 410 A.D. They maintained their presence in Britain for nearly four centuries before beginning their withdrawal in 410 A.D – and many remnants of their power and influence are being found today. In May, British archaeologists announced the discovery of an unusual eight-sided ring in a former drainage ditch. This winter, a Roman grave filled with gypsum was found during a highway construction project in England.
Daily Mail
22-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Scientists took four years to piece together 2,000-year-old-Roman wall art
Experts have reconstructed 2,000-year-old Roman frescoes from thousands of fragments in a remarkable archaeological achievement. The parts were discovered at a site in Southwark, near London Bridge in the UK, during an excavation in 2021. It has revealed one of the largest and most significant collections of painted Roman wall plaster ever found in the capital. Archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) have spent four years carefully analyzing and assembling the shattered remnants, which once adorned at least 20 internal walls of a high-status Roman building. Dating between AD 40 and 150, the frescoes were discarded into a pit during the early third century when the building was demolished. Now, the reconstructed wall art is offering fresh insight into elite life in Roman Britain. The frescoes feature vibrant yellow panels, a rare design choice in Roman wall painting, framed by bold black intervals and richly decorated with images of birds, fruit, flowers, and lyres. Their scale and style point to both the wealth and refined taste of the building's occupants. It took three months for Mola senior building material specialist Han Li to lay out all the fragments and reconstruct the designs to their original place. He said: 'This has been a "once-in-a-lifetime" moment, so I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness when I started to lay the plaster out. 'Many of the fragments were very delicate, and pieces from different walls had been jumbled together when the building was demolished, so it was like assembling the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle. 'I was lucky to have been helped by my colleagues in other specialist teams for helping me arrange this titanic puzzle as well as interpret ornaments and inscriptions, including Ian Betts and the British School at Rome, who gave me their invaluable opinions and resources. 'The result was seeing wall paintings that even individuals of the late Roman period in London would not have seen.' Speaking to the BBC Radio 4, Li said: 'When you are looking at thousands of fragments of wall paintings every day, you start to commit everything to memory. 'You are sometimes working when you are sleeping as well. 'There was one time that I thought that this fragment goes here, and I woke up, and it actually happened, so you could say I was working a double shift. 'But it's a beautiful end result.' One fragment features the face of a crying woman with a Flavian period (AD 69-96) hairstyle, hinting at the time period it may have been created. Work to further explore each piece of plaster continues. Among the reconstructed pieces is an extraordinary discovery: a fragment bearing the Latin word 'fecit', which means 'has made this' within a tabula ansata, a stylized frame commonly used to sign artwork in the Roman world. While the portion containing the painter's name is missing, it remains the first known example of a signed Roman wall painting ever found in Britain. Another rare find is graffiti featuring the ancient Greek alphabet, believed to be the only example of its kind uncovered in Roman Britain. The neatly scored letters suggest the writer was skilled, ruling out the possibility of it being simple writing practice. Other fragments were designed to imitate expensive wall tiles, including red Egyptian porphyry, a volcanic stone speckled with crystals, and African giallo antico, a richly veined yellow marble. These imitation materials, coupled with the exotic imagery, reveal that the owners drew inspiration from across the Roman Empire, with stylistic links to frescoes found in Xanten and Cologne in Germany, and Lyon in France. Adding to the picture of opulence and artistic flair is a fragment featuring the face of a crying woman with a hairstyle typical of the Flavian period (AD 69–96), hinting at the age and style of the original decoration. With further work ongoing to examine and catalog every fragment, the project continues to unlock stories from London's Roman past, one painstakingly reassembled piece at a time.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
2,000-year-old Roman wall paintings unearthed in London
Archaeologists have unearthed one of the largest collections of painted Roman wall plaster ever found in London and painstakingly pieced the fragments together, they said Thursday. The plaster, which was discovered on a construction site in 2021, once decorated around 20 internal walls of a high-status early Roman (AD 43-150) building in Southwark, south of the River Thames, the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) said. The plaster was found dumped in a large pit, having been smashed into thousands of pieces during Roman demolition works that took place some time before AD 200. MOLA Senior Building Material Specialist Han Li has spent the last three months laying out the fragments and reconstructing the designs. "This has been a once in a lifetime moment, so I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness when I started to lay the plaster out," he explained. "Many of the fragments were very delicate and pieces from different walls had been jumbled together when the building was demolished, so it was like assembling the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle. a "The result was seeing wall paintings that even individuals of the late Roman period in London would not have seen," he added. The reconstruction revealed bright yellow panel designs decorated with images of birds, fruit, flowers, and lyres not seen for 1800 years. Among the fragments is evidence of a painter's signature, although their name is not among the pieces, as well as unusual graffiti of the ancient Greek alphabet. Another fragment features the face of a crying woman with a Flavian period (AD 69-96) hairstyle. The construction site has already yielded mosaics and a rare Roman mausoleum. jwp/jkb/giv
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Now THAT jigsaw wasn't built in a day! Experts recreate 2,000-year-old Roman frescoes from thousands of fragments of wall plaster
Experts have reconstructed 2,000-year-old Roman frescoes from thousands of fragments in a remarkable archaeological achievement. The parts were discovered at a site in Southwark, near London Bridge and Borough Market, during an excavation in 2021. It has revealed one of the largest and most significant collections of painted Roman wall plaster ever found in the capital. Archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) have spent four years carefully analysing and assembling the shattered remnants, which once adorned at least 20 internal walls of a high-status Roman building. Dating between AD 40 and 150, the frescoes were discarded into a pit during the early third century when the building was demolished. Now, the reconstructed wall art is offering fresh insight into elite life in Roman Britain. The frescoes feature vibrant yellow panels, a rare design choice in Roman wall painting, framed by bold black intervals and richly decorated with images of birds, fruit, flowers, and lyres. Their scale and style point to both the wealth and refined taste of the building's occupants. It took three months for Mola senior building material specialist Han Li to lay out all the fragments and reconstruct the designs to their original place. He said: 'This has been a 'once-in-a-lifetime' moment, so I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness when I started to lay the plaster out. 'Many of the fragments were very delicate, and pieces from different walls had been jumbled together when the building was demolished, so it was like assembling the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle. 'I was lucky to have been helped by my colleagues in other specialist teams for helping me arrange this titanic puzzle as well as interpret ornaments and inscriptions, including Ian Betts and the British School at Rome, who gave me their invaluable opinions and resources. 'The result was seeing wall paintings that even individuals of the late Roman period in London would not have seen.' Speaking to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Mr Li said: 'When you are looking at thousands of fragments of wall paintings every day, you start to commit everything to memory. 'You are sometimes working when you are sleeping as well. 'There was one time that I thought that this fragment goes here, and I woke up, and it actually happened, so you could say I was working a double shift. 'But it's a beautiful end result.' One fragment features the face of a crying woman with a Flavian period (AD 69-96) hairstyle, hinting at the time period it may have been created. Work to further explore each piece of plaster continues. Among the reconstructed pieces is an extraordinary discovery: a fragment bearing the Latin word 'fecit', which means 'has made this' within a tabula ansata, a stylised frame commonly used to sign artwork in the Roman world. While the portion containing the painter's name is missing, it remains the first known example of a signed Roman wall painting ever found in Britain. Another rare find is graffiti featuring the ancient Greek alphabet, believed to be the only example of its kind uncovered in Roman Britain. The neatly scored letters suggest the writer was skilled, ruling out the possibility of it being simple writing practice. Other fragments were designed to imitate expensive wall tiles, including red Egyptian porphyry, a volcanic stone speckled with crystals, and African giallo antico, a richly veined yellow marble. These imitation materials, coupled with the exotic imagery, reveal that the owners drew inspiration from across the Roman Empire, with stylistic links to frescoes found in Xanten and Cologne in Germany, and Lyon in France. Adding to the picture of opulence and artistic flair is a fragment featuring the face of a crying woman with a hairstyle typical of the Flavian period (AD 69–96), hinting at the age and style of the original decoration. With further work ongoing to examine and catalogue every fragment, the project continues to unlock stories from London's Roman past, one painstakingly reassembled piece at a time.
