This report describes the history of a villa from its simple beginnings in the first century AD to its heydayin the 4th century when the owner could boast one of the largest villa bath houses and a bathing pool comparable in size to the Great Bath at Bath. The report is divided into two parts: the excavations and the finds.

The Excavation of the Roman Villa in Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead 1963-8 (ANTIQ-RR)

History

Neal, David S.

Ancient Civilizations

Society of Antiquaries

The third volume in this massive project to create the first complete corpus of the Roman mosaics of Britain covers the areas of Britain that were first to come under Roman control and where some of Britain's most impressive mosaics are to be found - in Colchester, Silchester, London and Verulamium, and in villas and palaces at Brading, Bignor, Fishbourne and Rockbourne. In their introduction to the volume, the authors trace the origins of mosaic-making in Britain, and the development of colour palettes and motifs, from the mainly black-and-white geometric designs of first-century Fishbourne Palace, reflecting contemporary Gaulish fashions, to the more elaborate polychrome designs of the third and fourth centuries, featuring figures from classical mythology, some of which (like Brading's Orpheus taming the animals with his music, or Lullingstone's Bellerophon slaying the Chimera) had been invested with new meaning as symbols of Christianity. They consider too the types of buildings with which mosaics are associated, the functions of mosaic-decorated rooms, the materials from which they are made, the impact of mosaic discoveries on early antiquaries and the pioneering mosaic paintings of artists such as Richard Smirke and Charles Stothard, published in Samuel Lysons' Reliquae Britanniae Romanae (1817). The catalogue follows the format of earlier volumes in providing an account of each mosaic's discovery and locating the mosaic within its building plan. Every mosaic is described, with significant parallels and major references, and illustrated with the authors' own paintings, reproductions of historic engravings and photographs, taken in situ wherever possible, before lifting or restoration. The result is an unrivalled scholarly resource for anyone interested in Roman art, craftsmanship, architecture and social life, which will shortly be complete with the publication of the fourth and final volume on Western Britain, including Wales.

Roman Mosaics of Britain, Vol. 3: South-East Britain (2 Book Set)

Cosh, Stephen R.

Society of Antiquaries of London

This volume brings to a triumphant conclusion this monumental project to catalogue, describe and illustrate every Romano-British mosaic. The area covered by the fourth and final volume in the corpus is one of the richest regions of Britain in economic as well as architectural and artistic terms and this is reflected in the quantity and quality of the region's mosaics, which include the largest figured mosaic ever found in Britain - the Woodchester Orpheus pavement - which was perhaps the inspiration for the other famous Orpheus mosaics of the Roman Cotswolds. At the heart of this affluent region is Cirencester, Roman Britain's second largest town, represented here by more than sixty mosaics, the second-century examples being the most exquisite in the country. There are also many fine mosaics from the region's highly ornate villas, as well as from the towns of Gloucester, Caerwent and Wroxeter. The catalogue follows the format of earlier volumes in providing an account of each mosaic's discovery and locating the mosaic within its building plan. Following the description are notable parallels and major references. Many of the illustrations are by the authors, with additional ones by Luigi Thompson, as well as photographs and historical engravings, a high proportion of the latter by Samuel Lysons whose home was in Gloucestershire where he did much of his pioneering work in archaeological excavation and illustration. Brief biographies of Lysons and all the other artists whose work grace all four volumes appear at the end of this volume. As with previous volume the work is preceded with a substantial introduction. This deals with the history and topography of the region, buildings and rooms, an assessment of regional workshops, and schemes, ending with a consideration of mosaics in relation to the end of Roman Britain. Table of Contents List of Donors List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction: History; History of Discoveries; Buildings; Rooms; Figured Pavements; Labyrinths; Organization of the Craft; Schemes; Materials; The Catalogue; Mosaics and the End of Roman Britain; The Legacy of Romano-British Mosaics Catalogue: Mosaics from Gloucestershire; Mosaics from Oxfordshire; Mosaics from other English Counties (Cheshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire); Mosaics from Wales Appendix I: new mosaics, additional information and errata relating to Vols I to III Appendix II (with M J Cosh): list of artists whose works feature in all four volumes, with short biographies Sources of Illustrations Glossary Bibliography Index

Roman Mosaics of Britain: Volume IV - Western Britain

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

This is a supplementary volume to the corpus of Romano-British mosaics published by the Society of Antiquaries of London between 2002 and 2010 (Volumes I-IV). It is in two parts: an overview, discussing various aspects of Romano-British mosaic study with special emphasis on recent research and discoveries, while the second part is a catalogue of new mosaic discoveries, re-excavation and new research of known pavements, in the same format as previous volumes. Volume V includes the recently discovered figurative mosaics at Ketton, Rutland, and Boxford, Berks, which are regarded as perhaps the most significant examples revealed for 60 years. Also included is the mausoleum uncovered in Southwark in 2023.The corpus is an outstanding work of scholarship which has become the standard reference work for Roman mosaics in Britain. The authors have gathered all the known sources and references to the mosaics, with many illustrated through paintings and drawings made in situ. These are works of art in their own right.

Roman Mosaics of Britain: Volume V - Discoveries and Research Since 2010

This first volume of a four-volume corpus of Roman mosacis in Britain covers the north and east from Northants to Yorkshire and from Warwickshire to East Anglia. The book begins with a general introduction on mosaics and their construction and their workshop groups, and then proceeds to the catalogue, which includes every mosaic known, described by county and by site, with a description and an illustration - these are generally in colour and are taken from the best sources - published as engravings, photos, or from meticulous paintings, most of which are by David Neal. It is a sumptuous volume, and an indispensable work of reference.

Roman Mosaics of Britain Volume 1: Northern Britain

Roman Mosaics of Britain is the culmination of more than seventy years of combined research and meticulous draughtsmanship by the authors, who are both in the forefront of mosaic scholarship. Their work, to be published in four volumes, is a complete illustrated catalogue of every known Romano-British mosaic - nearly 2000 in all - of which almost 450 feature in Volume II. Presented in the form of a county gazetteer, each mosaic is described, with drawings, photographs of figured elements and references. In many cases, the entry is illustrated by one of the authors' detailed paintings, which are faithful to the colour and composition of each mosaic. This volume contains some of the finest Romano-British mosaics ever uncovered. The South West has Britain's greatest concentration of figured mosaics, including, at Hinton St Mary, one of the earliest depictions of Christ. Several pavements illustrate scenes from Virgil's Aeneid or Ovid's Metamorphosis . As well as the organisation of the craft, the history of mosaic discoveries, building types, room function, figured work and schemes are considered. Each county has its own detailed introduction.

Roman Mosaics of Britain: Volume II - South-West Britain

Westminster Abbey contains the only surviving medieval Cosmatesque mosaics outside Italy. They comprise: the ‘Great Pavement’ in the sanctuary; the pavement around the shrine of Edward the Confessor; the saint’s tomb and shrine; Henry III’s tomb; the tomb of a royal child, and some other pieces. Surprisingly, the mosaics have never before received detailed recording and analysis, either individually or as an assemblage. The proposed publication, in two volumes, will present a holistic study of this outstanding group of monuments in their historical architectural and archaeological context. The shrine of St Edward is a remarkable survival, having been dismantled at the Dissolution and re-erected (incorrectly) in 1557 under Queen Mary. Large areas of missing mosaic were replaced with plaster on to which mosaic designs were carefully painted. This 16th-century fictive mosaic is unique in Britain. Conservation of the sanctuary pavement was accompanied by full archaeological recording with every piece of mosaic decoration drawn and colored by David Neal, phase plans have been prepared, and stone-by-stone examination undertaken, petrologically identifying and recording the locations of all the materials present. It has revealed that both the pavements and tombs include a range of exotic stone types. The Cosmati study has shed fresh light on every aspect of the unique series of monuments in Westminster Abbey; this work will fill a major lacuna in our knowledge of 13th-century English art of the first rank, and will command international interest. Table of Contents The Pavements List of figures Foreword by The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster Preface Acknowledgements Summary 1. The cosmatesque pavements and monuments: introduction and contextHistorical and architectural context The mosaic assemblage 2. Historiography and the antiquarian record Early references, 1269–c. 1700 Descriptions and illustrations of the pavements and monuments, 1707–1925 The pavements and monuments in recent scholarship 3. The sanctuary and high altar pavements: past interventions, damage and repair Paving the sanctuary: an historical overview The cosmatesque sanctuary pavement Installation of the Whitehall altarpiece, 1706–07 Sir George Gilbert Scott’s restoration of the sanctuary, 1859–71 4. Description of the sanctuary pavement Purbeck marble matrix Detailed description of the decoration The frame inscriptions Early repairs to the Cosmati pavement by Paul Drury Phasing: construction, alteration and repair 5. Surveying, analyzing and evaluating the sanctuary and high altar pavements Preparatory studies Condition and conservation trials, 1993–98 by Vanessa Simeoni Ground-penetrating radar surveys, 2004-05 by Erica Carrick Utsi The archaeology beneath the pavements: an assessment 6. Conservation and repair of the sanctuary pavement by Vanessa Simeoni Introduction Recording and the sanctuary pavement archive Materials in the pavement Cleaning Laser cleaning Removal of cement patching Purbeck marble: deterioration and treatment Stone tesserae: damage and treatment Glass tesserae Restoration of the western border panel Case study: the central medallion Surface finish Conclusions and post-conservation care 7. St Edward the Confessor’s chapel pavement Past interventions and damage The Purbeck marble matrix Detailed description of the pavement Ground-penetrating radar surveys of the high altar and St Edward’s chapel pavements, 2005 by Erica Carrick Utsi The archaeology beneath the chapel floor 8. Materials employed in the pavements and monuments Antiquarian petrology The stone types by Kevin Hayward Glass: analysis of samples from the sanctuary pavement by Ian Freestone Metals employed in the pavements and monuments Analysis of ‘mastic’ resin on the sanctuary pavement by Ruth Siddall Analysis of the paste-inlaid tesserae by Ruth Siddall Mortars used in the sanctuary pavement by Ruth Siddall Notes to chapters 1 to 8 Plans 1 and 2 (fold-outs at end of volume) VOLUME 2 The Monuments 9. St Edward’s chapel and the context of the shrine Introduction Chronology of St Edward’s enshrinement Evolving topography of St Edward’s chapel Monuments in the chapel: post-medieval interventions and antiquarian investigations Impact of pilgrims and tourists on the chapel and its monuments 10. The shrine-tomb of St Edward the Confessor, I: description and primary fabricIntroduction General description of the shrine-tomb Detailed descriptions of the components Reconstructing the original form of the shrine-tomb Method of construction and assembly The primary inscription: an assessment 11. The shrine-tomb of St Edward the Confessor, II: Tudor reconstruction and overall assessment The feretory canopy (co-operculum) Shrine of St Edward: historical context of its Tudor reconstruction Abbot Feckenham’s reconstruction of the shrine pedestal and altar, 1557 Accident and intervention, 1685-86 St Edward’s coffins Concluding assessment 12. Tomb of King Henry III Introduction and antiquarian descriptions Architectural form of the tomb Detailed description of the mosaic decoration Later interventions 13. Child’s tomb in the south ambulatory Identity of the tomb and its occupants Date and primary location of the tomb Relocation of the tomb in the south ambulatory The tomb-chest Detailed description of the decoration Discussion 14. Related monuments St Edward’s shrine altar Detached architectural fragments The high altar and the Westminster Retable The de Valence tombs Inscription fragment in the floor of St Edward’s chapel 15. The Westminster mosaic assemblage: summary, assessment and dating Luxury paving and mosaic decoration: Westminster in context The sanctuary and its pavements St Edward the Confessor’s chapel and its pavement St Edward’s shrine-tomb and altar Henry III and his shrine-tomb Other tombs Chronology of the Westminster Cosmati episode Appendices 1. The shrine of Edward the Confessor in the records by Matthew Payne Archival references Chronicles 2. Quantification of tesserae in the mosaic pavements and monuments Notes to chapters 9 to 16 Plan 3 (fold-out at end of volume) Abbreviations and bibliography Index

The Cosmatesque Mosaics of Westminster Abbey: The Pavements and Royal Tombs: History, Archaeology, Architecture and Conservation

Rodwell,Warwick

Oxbow Books

Canterbury Cathedral possesses a unique marble mosaic pavement, dating from the early twelfth century, which has long intrigued scholars and been the subject of speculation and debate. It forms part of the floor of the Trinity chapel, adjacent to the site where the shrine of St Thomas Becket stood, prior to the Reformation. Since the mosaic is older than the chapel itself and partly destroyed a pavement of figurative roundels, laid c. 1215, it must have been moved here from elsewhere in the cathedral. This volume explores the history and archaeology of the Trinity chapel, the pavement and the physical remains of the cult of Becket, based largely on hitherto unrecorded and unpublished evidence.In the early twelfth century, Archbishop Anselm rebuilt the eastern arm of the cathedral, introducing architectural elements from his native Italy, and these included a magnificent mosaic pavement, composed of the most expensive marbles, which lay in front of the high altar. In 1170, Archbishop Becket was murdered in the cathedral, and his body rested overnight on the pavement before being buried in the crypt. Thomas was immediately revered as a martyr, and in 1173 was canonized by the pope; a simple shrine was erected over his tomb. In the following year, a fire (arson) destroyed the eastern arm of the cathedral, precipitating the construction of the present Trinity and Corona chapels, wherein St Thomas's remains were enshrined.After decades of delay and political strife, the enshrinement took place in 1220, in the presence of Henry III. The shrine comprised a great marble table, supported on six clusters of columns. On top of the table was a marble sarcophagus containing the saint's body in an iron-bound timber coffin, over which stood the sumptuous feretory, a gabled timber 'roof', plated with sheets of gold and adorned with jewels. East of the shrine lies the small Corona chapel in which a fragment of Becket's skull was separately encased in a 'head-shrine', and to the west a large area was paved with forty-eight figurative stone roundels, created by French artisans. All around, stained-glass windows display the early miracles of Becket.The layout of the Trinity chapel underwent transmutations, first around 1230, when the mosaic pavement was taken up from the old presbytery, reduced in size and relaid in front of Becket's shrine, where is it today. Second, the chapel was reordered in c. 1290, when the podium carrying the shrine was enlarged and the paving around it reconfigured. Medieval tombs were now being installed in the chapels, including those of the Black Prince and Henry IV. The end came in 1538, when Henry VIII ordered the thorough destruction of Becket's shrines, but a great deal of archaeological evidence remained in the floors, walls and a few surviving fragments of the shrines, all now recorded and discussed in this volume for the first time.

Canterbury Cathedral, Trinity Chapel: The Archaeology of the Mosaic Pavement and Setting of the Shrine of St Thomas Becket

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