A Roman villa’s intricate mosaic floor has been meticulously recreated using 140,000 hand-crafted stone and tile cubes, the result of a five-year labor of love by a dedicated team of volunteers.
Remarkably, this ambitious project is the only one in the UK to have been completed entirely by untrained individuals.
Around 25 volunteers contributed to the project, dedicating one day a week to the effort.
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Each session involved a small group of two to five people, who began by handcrafting the tesserae—the tiny cubes used in mosaics—over the first two years.
These pieces were shaped with the same tools the Romans employed: a hammer and a hardie, a chisel-like tool set into a wooden block.
The mosaic now adorns Avalon Marshes near Glastonbury, Somerset, and features a compilation of designs inspired by Roman villas excavated in the area, such as Whatley, Hurcot, Newton St Loe, and Lopen.
The team used local materials identical to those utilized in ancient Roman times, including white, blue, and grey lias stone, yellow Doulting stone, and red fragments made from tiles.
The tesserae were set into a bed of lime mortar to form the intricate patterns.
The recreated floor represents a medley of Somerset’s Roman heritage, with parts of the design mirroring motifs from real villas.
One standout feature is a scaled-down version of an elephant mosaic from the Whatley Roman villa, discovered near Nunney in 1837 and later excavated in 1848 and 1958.
Another highlight is a dolphin motif inspired by Lopen villa, discovered by chance in 2001.
This design was sketched directly into wet lime mortar before being carefully constructed with tesserae and finished with a thin mortar wash to fill and smooth the surface.
Dr. Richard Brunning, an archaeologist with the South West Heritage Trust and the project leader, praised the volunteers’ dedication.
“This is likely the only recreation of a Roman mosaic in the UK created entirely by untrained volunteers, using authentic materials and methods.
Their effort has resulted in an impressive work of art despite their lack of prior experience,” he said.
Experts at Avalon Archaeology noted the uniqueness of the Roman mosaics in Britain, especially the depiction of animals like elephants.
Unlike their more anatomically accurate counterparts in continental Europe, British mosaicists often portrayed such creatures with smaller, less realistic features—possibly because they had never seen an elephant and couldn’t visualize the scale of its ears.
The recreated mosaic also includes optical illusions reminiscent of Roman artistry.
A design borrowed from the Newton St Loe villa prompts viewers to interpret the shapes differently—some see a flower or star, while others perceive converging cubes or pyramid-like forms.
This remarkable undertaking not only celebrates the region’s Roman past but also showcases the skill and commitment of the volunteers who brought these ancient designs back to life.
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SOURCE: Roman mosaic floor painstakingly recreated over five years using 140,000 stone tiles
