Norman Davey - Mosaic with floral panels AD 160-90

Archaeology (Verulamium Museum)

1980.882

Watercolour painting by Norman Davey showing mosaic with floral panels, also known as the Hypocaust mosaic, AD160-90. 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'. Mosaics were laid from around AD 150 to 300 and continued to be repaired for a further century.

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Jennifer Golding

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