Luxurious Gallo-Roman villa discovered in Reims – History Blog

Archaeologists in Reims have unearthed a luxurious Gallo-Roman city villa from the 2nd century on the main road that passes through the ancient provincial capital of Dourocortorum. Large columns, fragments of painted plaster and three very fine bronze statuettes found in the palace indicate that the wealthy owners spent a lot of money on decoration and closely associated themselves with Roman culture.

The entrance to the house is 20 feet long and flanked by two massive square columns. In the palace, the remaining frescoes on the walls bear the names of the hero Achilles and Deidamia, the daughter of King Lycomedes of Scyros. Achilles dressed as a woman and hid on the island with the seven daughters of Lycomedes. He becomes Deidamia’s lover, but when Odysseus appears and reveals his true identity, he leaves the island and joins the Trojan War on the Greek side. The story was valued in Roman literature, with many references, but to our knowledge only three other frescoes of this scene have been found in Aquileia, Pompeii and Rome, attesting to the education and education of the Reimsian elite. Roman Hobbies.

Three bronze statuettes found in the burn layer are also examples of their owner’s wealth and attachment to Roman culture. The figures were found to be of very high quality after restorers used micro-sandblasting to remove burnt and corroded material from the wrappers.

One is a statue of Mars, the god of war with silver eyes, with Medusa on his breastplate and a she-wolf relief of Romulus and Remus on his shield. He stands on a cylindrical base decorated with floral scrolls inlaid with silver and copper. The other is a bull with exquisite detail, from the wrinkles on its neck to the curls on its broad forehead. His eyes are also silver. The third statue is of a goddess holding the staff of Hercules, with a snake wrapped around it and the skin of a Nemean lion underneath. She also has a later-added helmet with a sphinx and battlemented crown. She once had wings but now lost them.

France’s National Institute for Preventive Archeology (INRAP) is excavating the site ahead of residential construction, giving archaeologists the opportunity to explore previously unexcavated areas of Duroctorum. It is located about half a mile from the square at the confluence of the Grand Decumanus and Wesler rivers. The site was damp and relatively far from the political and religious centers of the city, so it was not a prime location for such a luxurious villa.

It raises questions about the status of the owners. If they could afford to build such a spectacular house, why would they want to stay away from the wet parts of town? The researchers hope to shed more light on this question by further studying artifacts and remains from Domus.