Roman villa at Hinton St Mary
In 1963, the remains of a Roman villa were found near Hinton St Mary in Dorset ( England ), the mosaics of which aroused national interest. The villa has only been partially excavated, so that little can be said about its type and the overall complex. It has even been suggested that the remains found are not a villa, but a church. Coin evidence suggests that the building was occupied from around 270 to 400 AD.
The found mosaic decorated two rooms. In the smaller room a picture of the place in the central field of the mosaic Bellerophon on Pegasus riding. The two side panels show hunting scenes. In the large room the mosaic had different fields, the sides again show hunting scenes and in the corners the pictures of a man. The central field shows a bust with the Chi-Rho in the background. It is perhaps the earliest representation of Christ from Roman Britain . The mosaic dates to the fourth century. It may come from a workshop in Durnovaria known as the Durnovarian Group .
literature
- KS Painter: Excavation of the Roman Villa at Hinton St Mary 1964. In: Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. Vol. 86, 1965, ISSN 0070-7112 , pp. 150-154.
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 56'35.7 " N , 2 ° 18'24.4" W.