Building work in England reveals stunning ‘vibrant’ mosaics

A team of archaeologists has announced the discovery of the remains of what is believed to be a Roman villa featuring stunning mosaics beneath a shop building site in Britain.

Scientists found the remains of a Roman villa on Warrington Road in Olney, Buckinghamshire, southeast England, and a bathroom with beautiful red, white and blue tiles.

We can now share a pretty exciting find, just in time for #FindsFriday …A Roman #mosaic, probably belonging to the Durobrivan group from the East Midlands, that we uncovered during excavations at Olney, Buckinghamshire on behalf of Angle Property 1/3#romanarchaeology pic.twitter.com/NyQ3lnZoZt

— Oxford Archaeology (@oatweet) March 17, 2023

The archaeologists said the mosaics feature “vibrant colors and intricate decorative patterns” made up of red, white and blue tiles.

The excavations were carried out by Oxford Archeology for property developer Angle Property, due to the recent discovery’s proximity to the Roman site at Olney.

The team noted that these mosaics are “archaeological remains of high importance” and that it is believed that there are many ancient ruins extending under Warrington Road.

As John, OA Project Manager, said "This fantastic mosaic far exceeded the expectations".

Read more herehttps://t.co/Zj3BRWsoEo

3/3 pic.twitter.com/uYH2rsjkNt

— Oxford Archaeology (@oatweet) March 17, 2023

The mosaics are currently being registered and preserved at the site through the reburial of the remains to protect them from the planned building work.

The archaeologists said that after talks with Historic England and Milton Keynes Council, the mosaics have been preserved in their original location, meaning construction will be allowed to continue without causing damage to the find.

Previous excavations conducted throughout the city have revealed Roman settlements and buildings from the Middle Ages.

John Bothroyd, senior project manager at Oxford University for Archeology, told the BBC: “Given its location, we expected some notable Roman ruins, but the discovery of these magnificent mosaics has far exceeded those expectations. The ability to preserve archaeological remains of this quality and importance is a result. amazing”.

The team believes that many other parts of the ancient artwork are still hidden under Warrington Road, but due to their location will not be excavated.