Lopen Roman Mosaic

[1] It was discovered in 2001 by George Caton, who was operating a mechanical digger and noticed small cubes of coloured stone,[2] which turned out to be part of the floor of an eight-roomed Roman villa and is the largest Roman mosaic so far discovered in Britain.

[3] Photogrammetry by English Heritage[4] was followed by excavation led by the Somerset County Council archaeologist.

[6] The fragments which were discovered in the surrounding soil were used to create a new mosaic, including a picture of a dolphin, using methods which would have been available in Roman times.

[3] A further mosaic was found in an adjoining room, which probably extended beyond the area excavated, which was about 4.5 metres square.

The main mosaic is almost 7 metres square and has a complicated geometrical design, including some stylized figurative elements such as leaves, cups and dolphins.