Shell Mosaic, c. AD150.

Archaeology (Verulamium Museum)

1980.881

Shell Mosaic, c. AD150. This mosaic was excavated in 1930 during the excavations of Verulamium led by Sir Mortimer Wheeler. Verulamium Museum holds one of the finest collections of Romano British mosaics, including this rare semi-circular design dated to c. AD 150. 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.

PH0042 SHELL MOSAIC.tif

5X4 transparency

Jennifer Golding

[not applicable].

'Verulamium Since the Romans', 1989.