Spectacular shell mosaic revealed in a domus on Palatine Hill

A vividly coloured wall mosaic has been revealed by archaeologists working in central Rome. It adorned a room for banqueting in a lavish aristocratic house built around 2300 years ago on the Palatine Hill. The house (domus) with the seashell mosaic may have belonged to a military man. The intricate mosaic is crafted with seashells, Egyptian blue pigment, glass, and coloured marble. It is 4.8 m long and depicts vines, lotus leaves, pastoral scenes, and symbols potentially signifying the owner’s victories on land and sea. The room it decorated was designed as a specus aestivus to mimic a cave. It was equipped with lead pipes (fistulae) between the decorated walls to supply fresh spring water to fountains. Illuminated by oil lamps, the mood would have been opulent but intimate. Further…

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Ancient History (Digital) - 1 Issue, AH 48

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