Thousands of fragments of Roman murals found in London –

Archaeologists have discovered thousands of fresco fragments, one of the largest collections of Roman painted plasters ever found in London. A team at the London Museum of Archaeology (MOLA) discovered the debris while excavating the Freedom Site in Southwark, the most complete Roman mausoleum in London was found in 2023 and one of its largest floor mosaics in 2022.

The murals once adorned about 20 interior walls of Roman buildings, and when the building was demolished for 200 hectares, the debris were unceremoniously dumped into a pit, all of which were chaotic. Han Li, a senior building materials expert at Mola, has been working for months to unravel these thousands of pieces and put them back into their original position like a giant puzzle. Like a puzzle, he groups the pieces by color and pattern and moves them to recreate the broken design. The pieces are very delicate and painted plaster can be treated just in time, so before moving them, Lee must make sure the pieces fit as much as possible.

The largest mural measures about 5m x 3M and has a lower light pink section with spots scattered on it to mimic marble. Above is a yellow panel rich in soft green borders.

The wall paintings are decorated with candlesticks called lyres, white cranes and string instruments of exquisite daisies. There seems to be a bunch of grapes, but archaeologists believe it is a plant that grows locally – mistletoe.

“It’s actually very interesting to me because you see Roman painters taking a classical idea and they’re very much putting their own Northwest European or local twists on it. I think it’s grand,” Han Lee said.

The spotted red yellow panels are mimicking expensive imported stones such as Egyptian porphyry (red) and African Giallo Antico (yellow). This style is popular in high-end villas like Pompeii and even Colchester, but the design of yellow panels is rare in the British. Only the most luxurious Roman houses like Fishbourne Roman Palace put these panels on the wall.

A painter even signed his work, although his name has not been found yet. The word “feces” was found in Tabula Ansata Design, which means “has been made”, which follows the painter’s name, a decorative plaque used to frame the artist’s signature. This is the first Tabula Ansata ever in the UK.

Another unique discovery is a graffiti of almost complete Greek letters. This is the only one in the UK, but in Italy, other examples of this practice show that they are used as reference guides or counts. These letters are carved with skilled, definite hands, so not a student who practices letters by painting them on the wall.

Mora researchers believe that the demolished building is a house for wealthy families, a hotel dedicated to wealthy travelers. The neighborhood was a rich suburb of London, not the heart of a busy city. No matter who owns it, they can attract highly skilled artists from the Roman Empire hub to London.

“They came to Rome London, where there was a booming architecture, many houses and many buildings needed painting. They were actually taking on a huge work commission,” Han Lee said.