Evidence of invasion and settlement: in detail

Conservator at work cleaning the underside of the mosaic

The Gresham Street mosaic is one of the best preserved mosaics to be found in London for over 100 years.

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A fine Roman mosaic discovered at 10 Gresham Street

Where was it found?

The mosaic was about 1.5 metres square and was at the centre of a red tessellated floor which measured nearly 4 square metres overall. Part of the mosaic had been destroyed by a later pit, but the surviving pattern is regular enough to reconstruct by computer.

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Computer reconstruction of the mosaic section found at 10 Gresham Street

What can we learn from the mosaic?

From the style of the mosaic and other evidence from the site, archaeologists think it was laid between AD100 and 120. The pattern is made up of black, white and grey boxes which create optical illusions, along with twisted chains and ivy leaves in grey, white, red and yellow. The optical illusions are similar to ones found at the Roman palace at Fishbourne, built around AD75. The red and yellow colours and chain pattern look forward to second and third century styles.

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Excavating the mosaic, 10 Gresham Street

What happened to the mosaic?

Archaeologists carefully planned and photographed the mosaic on site before lifting it in sections to take to the museum's conservation laboratory. Careful recording is vital so that the mosaic can be reassembled accurately and put on display.