Archaeologists from MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) made a remarkable discovery yesterday (22 Feb) – the largest area of Roman mosaic found in London for over 50 years, on the site of a mixed-use development scheme by U+I and TfL.

The find, following excavations on the site of the proposed The Liberty of Southwark project near The Shard in Southwark, includes a well-preserved mosaic that once decorated the floor of a Roman dining room. It features two highly decorated panels made up of small, coloured tiles set within a red tessellated floor, the largest of which shows colourful flowers surrounded by bands of intertwining strands.

‘It has been a privilege to work on such a large site where the Roman archaeology is largely undisturbed by later activity’, she said. ‘When the first flashes of colour started to emerge through the soil everyone on site was very excited!’. 

The archaeologists report that the mosaic was set in a dining room, which the Romans called a triclinium and would have contained dining couches, where people would recline to eat. From these, guests could gaze at the beautiful flooring whilst enjoying their food and drink. The walls of this room were brightly painted, and fragments of colourful wall plaster have also been found on the site. 

The concept of retrofit was also clearly alive, even in those times – because, while the largest mosaic panel can be dated to the late 2nd to early 3rd century AD, the room was clearly in use beforehand. Traces of an earlier mosaic underneath the one currently visible have been identified - this shows the room was refurbished over the years, perhaps to make way for the latest trends.

The archaeologists say that the dining room might have been part of a Roman mansio – an upmarket ‘motel’ offering accommodation, stabling, and dining facilities for state couriers and officials travelling to and from London. Given the size of the dining room and its lavish decoration, it is believed that only high-ranking officers and their guests would have used this space. The complete footprint of the building is still being uncovered, but current findings suggest this was a very large complex, with multiple rooms and corridors surrounding a central courtyard.

Excavations on this site have been taking place as part of the wider regeneration of the area, set to be completed in 2024 with the opening of The Liberty of Southwark project which will sit between Southwark Street, Redcross Way and Union Street. The scheme will include ‘contemporary’ workspace, 36 new homes, including 50% affordable housing, along with shops and restaurants, and will create new pedestrian routes, reinstating some of the medieval yards and lanes of historic Southwark. 

Designed by Allies and Morrison as ‘a varied collection of contemporary brick buildings, sensitive to the scale of their surroundings and full of references to the Victorian industrial and commercial architecture of the area’, it includes 15 Southwark Street, which dates from the 1860s and will also be restored as part of the development. The homes, commercial opportunities and public realm improvements provided by the scheme will become an important part of the community’s present fabric, without forgetting its past, the backers say.

The excavation has also provided new training opportunities. MOLA, in partnership with Keltbray and TfL, delivered a two-week ‘Get Into Archaeology’ access programme for Londoners interested in learning more about construction and the work of professional archaeologists.

Henrietta Nowne, Senior Development Manager, U+I, said: “The Liberty of Southwark site has a rich history, but we never expected a find on this scale or significance. We are committed to celebrating the heritage of all of our regeneration sites, so it’s brilliant that we’ve been able to unearth a beautiful and culturally-important specimen in central London that will be now preserved so that it can be enjoyed by generations to come.”

Puja Jain, Senior Property Developer at TfL, added: “This is a very exciting finding that illustrates the rich and complex history of this site and London as a whole. This valuable work to discover and preserve London’s history is a key part of our long-term development process, which has already given a number of people the chance to learn more about archaeology. On dozens of sites across London, we are working with world-leading professionals to preserve the heritage of London whilst bringing forward the homes and jobs that London needs to continue to thrive into the future.”

 

The mosaics will now be carefully recorded and assessed by an expert team of conservators, after which they will then be lifted and transported off-site, enabling more detailed conservation work to take place. This will offer the opportunity to investigate the surviving traces of the earlier mosaic. Future plans for the public display of the mosaics are currently being determined.