Villa Rustica (Littlecote)
The Villa Rustica near Littlecote (in Wiltshire , near the town of Hungerford ( Berkshire )) is one of the most important Roman villas in England . It is also one of the few villas in England that have been almost completely excavated. It is best known for its Orpheus mosaic .
chronology
Litter finds show that the site of the later villa was inhabited since the Neolithic period . With the arrival of the Romans in Britain , a small village developed here along a road. The first villa was built at the beginning of the first century AD. North of the road, a large wooden structure replaced the huts standing here. Bread and beer were made in the building. Perhaps there was a small sanctuary south of the road. Around 170/180 AD, the sanctuary was leveled and a large two-story house made of flint was built. The house had bathrooms and kitchens. Around 220 AD, the main room of the house was given hypocausts . A little later the bakery was replaced by a stone house and probably served as a barn. Another barn was built south of it. Around 270/280 AD the house was fundamentally rebuilt again. Instead of the now abandoned bathing wing, rooms were created here, some of which were furnished with mosaics . A bathroom was installed in the northern house that had previously served as a barn. A little later another residential building was built between the two buildings and the complex received a monumental gate in the east. Around 360 AD, a trikonchos with mosaics was built in the northern building . After AD 400, the buildings fell into disrepair, although the villa's square probably remained populated throughout.
The mosaic was found in 1727 by William George, the land manager under Sir Francis Popham. In April 1728, the Society of Antiquaries of London reported the find. The classical scholar Roger Gale described it as the most beautiful mosaic on which the sun in England had ever shone. It was buried again shortly afterwards and has since been considered lost, but was rediscovered in 1976. From 1976 to 1991 the entire villa was excavated. The mosaic, which was probably still complete when it was first found, was now only half preserved. It was restored based on the old drawings. The villa can be visited today.
The buildings
The Villa
The actual villa dates from around 170 AD. At that time it was probably two-story with a portico at the front. Various modifications were made over the years. In the middle of the building there was a large heated room that was once decorated with a mosaic, but only a few remains of it were found. This room was also rebuilt several times. The hypocausts date from around AD 220, but were replenished as early as AD 270. During this time the room received a new mosaic. There was a bathing wing and tower-like additions to the front.
Workers house
To the north of the villa was another, smaller building that was built around 270 AD. It appears to have been a building for servants. There was a kitchen and two living rooms. The burial of a small child was found under the floor of one of the rooms.
barn
To the south stood a large barn, which was built in the first half of the third century and significantly rebuilt around 270 AD. There was a separate bath wing. There was a large hall in the center, but it appears to have been subdivided over time. A kitchen was built in.
The entrance gate
To the east of the villa complex stood a large hall that may have served as a stable. A gate system was built next to it, the interior of which probably served as a storage facility.
The house with the Orpheus mosaic
The house stands in the north of the complex and was originally a storage facility. The building was fundamentally rebuilt around 360 AD. The entrance was to the east, from where one entered an elongated vestibule that was once painted and had a vaulted ceiling. From there one came into the former hall of the warehouse, which after the renovation was perhaps an open courtyard. In the west, a bathing wing was built, which was adjoined in the south by a room with a geometric mosaic and the trikonchos, which was equipped with the Orpheus mosaic.
The mosaic
Strictly speaking, the mosaic is two mosaics that are located in two adjacent rooms, but are connected to one another and are laid out in one. In the center of the figurative part is the representation of Orpheus. His figure was a popular motif on late antique mosaics. Around this central figure there are four fields, each with a female figure riding on an animal. It is probably a representation of the four seasons. These figures are Kore / Persephone (winter) on a goat, Aphrodite / Venus (spring) on a stag, Nemesis or Leda (summer) with a swan on a panther and Demeter (autumn) on a bull. The mosaic may come from a workshop that was based in or near Aquae Sulis ( Bath ) and produced mosaics that are grouped together in research as the Southern Dobunnic Group .
literature
- Bernard Philipps, Bryn Walters: Littlecote, Roman Villa, Illustrated Guide , 2005.
- Stephen R. Cosh, David S. Neal: Roman Mosaics of Britain. Volume 2: South-West Britain. Illuminata Publishers for the Society of Antiquaries of London, London 2005, ISBN 0-9547916-1-4 , pp. 350-356.
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 26 '0 " N , 1 ° 34' 10.7" W.