In a recent discovery near Rome’s famous Colosseum, archaeologists have revealed an extravagant Roman house with an extraordinary mosaic. According to Italy’s culture ministry, the remarkable mosaic is made of shells, marble, and precious glass.
The mosaic illustrates three big ships sailing through waves, heading towards a coastal city. This city is adorned with tiny towers and porticoes on its walls.
The scene in the mosaic hints that the owner of this ancient home might have won battles. The building, dating from the second half of the 2nd century BC to the end of the 1st century BC, is described as a real treasure by Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
@ParcoColosseo, scoperta una nuova domus con un mosaico del II secolo a.C.. “Il cuore della romanità ha disvelato un autentico tesoro, che sarà nostra cura salvaguardare e rendere fruibile al pubblico”, dichiara il Ministro della Cultura @g_sangiuliano. https://t.co/e92LeUXcFi pic.twitter.com/lSgZt4WLRM
— Ministero della Cultura (@MiC_Italia) December 12, 2023
Discovery of the Domus
Discovered in 2018, archaeologists found a number of walls, and this domus spans multiple floors. Only a few rooms have been dug up, and the excavation will continue until at least 2024. The main room of the domus, arranged around an atrium, is a fancy banquet hall designed like a cave, used in the summer, says the ministry.
The owner, probably a senator-type noble, would have thrown parties with cool water tricks, thanks to lead pipes in the fancy walls. However, what really stands out is a magnificent wall covered in an unique “rustic” mosaic. It’s like no other, both in terms of the time it comes from and the complicated scenes it shows, the ministry added.
The ministry explains that the mosaic tells a complicated story of Roman times using various elements like shells, blue tiles, fancy glass, tiny bits of white marble, and other stones.
Heaps of weapons
In the mix of vines and lotus leaves, there are heaps of weapons, Celtic-like trumpets, warships, and tridents. This might hint at the owner’s double victory on land and sea.
A captivating scene shows a landscape with a coastal city and a cliff made to look like real rocks. In front, there’s a sea with three big ships, one with raised sails.
2,000-yr-old #Roman home with an ‘unparalleled’ mosaic featuring shells, marble and precious glass is uncovered near #Rome’s #Colosseum pic.twitter.com/7R74XYlmX6
— Hans Solo (@thandojo) December 13, 2023
The ministry suggests that the coastal city might symbolize the owner, likely a powerful person, maybe a senator, conquering a place through war.
In another room next door, archaeologists found a top-notch white stucco. Alfonsina Russo, in charge of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, says they’re working hard to open up this special place from ancient Rome to the public as soon as possible.
This Domus is an early example of “luxuria,” where people showed off their wealth and status through fancy homes and lifestyles. It also backs up historical info about prominent Roman senator families having grand homes in the northwest part of the Palatine, one of the city’s seven hills.