Mosaic of Oceanus

Archaeology (Verulamium Museum)

Watercolour painting by Tessa Wheeler of the Mosaic of Oceanus, also known as the sea god mosaic, AD160-90. This mosaic is now on display in Verulamium Museum. Mosaics are made from small tiles known as tessera (plural: tesserae), normally made from cut stone, tile or, rarely, glass. They were used to floor important rooms such as dining rooms and bath suites. The basic floor structure was 'opus signum' (concrete). The tesserae were then pressed into a thin layer of fine mortar which was spread over the concrete. The tesserae were grouted with a fine mortar and the surface of the floor polished with abrasive stone. Many mosaics of elements within them were prefabricated as panels in the mosaicists' workshop and subsequently incorporated into the overall scheme 'on site'. Fragments of around 80 mosaics have been found so far at Verulamium, although not all have survived complete. Most designs tend to be geometric patterns, but this example shows a male figure. It is thought to be either the sea god Oceanus or a god of the woods (Cernunnos?). Most of the mosaics recovered at Verulamium date from the 2nd and 3rd centuries and are similar to those at Colchester. A single workshop was probably producing the designs for both. This example dates from AD160-190. Verulamium museum has one of the finest collections of 2nd century mosaics in Britain.

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Jennifer Golding

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