Very late Roman mosaic floor

[Jim Webster]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/10/stunning-dark-ages-mosaic-found-at-roman-villa-in-cotswolds

Apparently they were laying rather nice mosaic floors after 428AD

To quote the article, "It was possible to date the mosaic thanks to traces of carbon found in a trench dug to build a wall to create the room the mosaic was found in. Dating the carbon strongly suggested the wall was built between 424 and 544 AD. The mosaic was laid in the newly created room after the wall was built."

[Duncan Head]

Of course as the article suggests, this may have been one of the safer regions even when things started to break down elsewhere:

He suggested it was also possible that the area was not so badly affected by hostile raids that were taking place in the north and east. "It is interesting to speculate why Chedworth villa's owners were still living in this style well into the fifth century. It seems that in the West Country, the Romanised way of life was sustained for a while."

Very significant find, all the same.

[Jim Webster]

Of course as the article suggests, this may have been one of the safer regions even when things started to break down elsewhere:

He suggested it was also possible that the area was not so badly affected by hostile raids that were taking place in the north and east. "It is interesting to speculate why Chedworth villa's owners were still living in this style well into the fifth century. It seems that in the West Country, the Romanised way of life was sustained for a while."

Very significant find, all the same.

Does rather fit with some of the theories put forward that Britannia Prima in the South West remained Romanised for longer
But then we have the various visits of Germanus of Auxerre which indicate that some sort of civilised life hung on

[Imperial Dave]

fab bit of news and article Jim and very 'wow' for me personally

[Jim Webster]

fab bit of news and article Jim and very 'wow' for me personally

I must admit that if I knew how to 'link' you to the post I would have done. I thought you'd like it 

[DBS]

I am less surprised at the maintenance of the "villa lifestyle" at that time, more surprised at the ability to find the artisan(s) to lay the mosaic, as one assumes that the decline in conditions probably made it less likely that one could find such a chap in one's local Check-A-Trade leaflet.  Unless Lurkio the slave had a particularly artistic bent, Ludicrus Sextus probably had to import the skill from somewhere else in the country (or even across the Channel), which means ease of communications, and sufficient villa owners wanting new floors for someone to still be in the mosaic flooring business.

[Jim Webster]

Yes, the existence of new mosaic flooring does presume the existence of quite a lot of infrastructure. Somebody is supplying the bits that go to make up the mosaic for example. There is still a 'functioning industry' out there plus good enough communications for the industry to continue to operate

[Erpingham]

And the moveable wealth to pay for it.  You are not going to attract a craftsman from afar or abroad with a barter system.

[Imperial Dave]

early 5th C - I suspect still a reasonable amount of coinage/bullion around that can be used...late 5th more of a problem

[Jim Webster]

Another article of interest, which Nigel just posted to the DBMM list

https://www.caitlingreen.org/2016/04/heptarchy-harun-ibn-yahya.html

vaguely related in that it hints at better connections with the rest of the world than appear to be considered canon at the moment 

[Imperial Dave]

yes, read this previously and a good article. Generally the Western half of Britain appears to have had a reasonable relationship with various continental connections

[Mark G]

That part hasn't changed, anyway

[DBS]

And the moveable wealth to pay for it.  You are not going to attract a craftsman from afar or abroad with a barter system.

Maybe we now have a proper explanation for the Adventus Saxonum - Hengist and Horsa were in fact itinerant tesserae salesmen who became very miffed when Vortigern tried to pay them for his new mosaic with two chickens and a low-mileage slavegirl.

[Imperial Dave]

And the moveable wealth to pay for it.  You are not going to attract a craftsman from afar or abroad with a barter system.

Maybe we now have a proper explanation for the Adventus Saxonum - Hengist and Horsa were in fact itinerant tesserae salesmen who became very miffed when Vortigern tried to pay them for his new mosaic with two chickens and a low-mileage slavegirl.

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chedworth-roman-villa/features/britains-first-known-5th-century-mosaic-found-at-chedworth-roman-villa?fbclid=IwAR2M6x_-X8j778zqPHiwhqrs33H46ZP8Z0K8K4o66Ta2xrSCfv529MYCpHk more info