Update on that Roman mosaic they found under a parking lot in Leicester

I saw the site back in 2019 when they first uncovered the edge of the mosaic, and it was just a few dirty stones in a trench. Went back last month, and after three years of careful work, they've exposed a whole floor panel, maybe 10 feet across, with clear red and blue geometric patterns. The team from the University of Leicester used a special gel to clean it without damaging the tiles. Has anyone else followed a dig from start to finish like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

troyjackson3d ago

Actually, it was a special non-acidic cleaning solution, not a gel (I read the project blog). They use that to slowly lift the dirt without harming the ancient mortar. The detail they got on the border pattern is amazing, you can see each little tile.

jakewhite3d ago

That "slowly lift the dirt" part is what gets me. It reminds me of watching a guy restore an old car in my neighborhood. He spent weeks just on the chrome trim, using some kind of mild solvent and cotton swabs. The patience for that kind of work is something else. Seeing a finished detail, like those little tiles you mentioned, must make all that careful time worth it.