Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory Science Newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more.
CNN
–
Archaeologists have assembled “the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzle” to reveal the giant fresco that adorns the gorgeous Villas of Roman London.
Sliced wall plaster fragments discovered during excavations by the London Museum of Archaeology (MOLA) experts are meticulously stitched together to reveal frescoes covering the building’s approximately 20 interior walls.
The importance of plaster pieces was not immediately clear when they were first unearthed at the Southwork site. Perhaps the result of the Roman demolition work at 200 Guangxi revealed that perhaps thousands of fragments were dumped in large holes, Mora said.
Han Li, a senior building materials specialist at Mola, worked hard to lay out the pieces for three months to restore a massive artwork that has not been seen in over 1,800 years.
It features painted images of fruits, flowers, birds, candelabras and filamentous instruments that were popular at the time.
Another piece shows a crying woman with hairstyles from the Flavian era (AD 69-96).
“This was a ‘once in a lifetime’ moment, so when I started unraveling the plaster, I felt a mixture of excitement and tension,” Li said in a Mola press release sent to CNN on Thursday.
“Many of the fragments were so delicate, and when the building was demolished, pieces from different walls were cluttered together, making it like putting together the most difficult jigsaw puzzle in the world.”
Archaeologists who continue to analyze plaster in greater depth believe that the painting was inspired by designs from other parts of the Roman world.
“Some fragments mimic high status wall tiles such as red Egyptian porphyry (crystal spotted volcanic rocks) that framble elaborate veins of African dialloan (yellow marble).
The identity of one of the painters is suggested in “Tabula ansata.” This is a decorative tablet sculpture and is used to sign artwork. One plaster piece is scored in the Latin word “fecit” and means “made this.” Unfortunately, the mystery of who an individual is remains as a fragment of the name to be.
Elsewhere, the team discovered almost complete Greek alphabet etching. This appears to have been “deftly scored” by “skilled writers,” according to the release. It is the only known example of this species from Rome, Britain, but similar examples have been found in Italy.
The Romans invaded England in 43 AD and soon afterwards founded the Londinium, the foundation of modern London. Their occupation lasted almost 400 years and ended in 410 AD.
This was not the first discovery on the site. It is being redeveloped as Southwark’s Freedom, a complex of offices, homes and shops. A well-preserved mosaic that once decorated the floors of a large room were there in 2022, but the following year the rare Roman spirit US was excavated.
