'It could change our understanding of life in late Roman Britain': Rutland's ancient villa complex
Archaeologists have made new discoveries near the site of Rutland's famous "Trojan" mosaic
Last updated 28th Nov 2022
More incredible discoveries have been made near the site of Rutland's ancient roman villa complex, archaeologists have said.
Historic England and the University of Leicester Archaeological Services have revealed the site, first unearthed in 2020, is actually much larger - and more intricate - than expected.
On their most recent visit, experts unearthed further mosaics and fragments of décor that suggest the owners of the complex took inspiration from the wider Roman Empire for their interior lifestyles.
Archaeologists even excavated the foundations of a Roman-style bath suite consisting of a steam/hot room, a warm room and a cold plunge pool.
Leicestershire Archaeologist Peter Liddle worked on the initial discovery of Rutland's famous 'trojan' mosaic - he said the whole site in total, which would've been owned by a very wealthy person, spanned 'acres':
'There's the main block, with the mosaics in it, there's then a subsidiary block that looks like servants' quarters, and then there's a courtyard on the other side with buildings ranged around it and then there's even more buildings further down towards the river.'
Historic England’s Chief Executive, Duncan Wilson, said: “This is a fascinating site and has posed many questions about life in Roman Britain. The answers will become clearer as the evidence is examined over the next few years by a team of specialists, and their work will help us understand the story of this villa complex, and its significance for our understanding of Roman Britain.”
John Thomas, Deputy Director of ULAS and Project Manager of ULAS excavations, said: “It’s difficult to overstate the significance of this Roman villa complex to our understanding of life in late Roman Britain. While previous excavations of individual buildings, or smaller scale villas, have given us a snapshot, this discovery in Rutland is much more complete and provides a clearer picture of the whole complex.
‘’The aim of this year’s work has been to investigate other buildings within the overall villa complex to provide context to the Trojan War mosaic. While that is a wonderful, eye-catching discovery, we will be able to learn much more about why it was here, and who might have commissioned it, by learning about the villa as a whole.
“We are delighted to once again be working in partnership with Historic England on this project and pleased that this latest phase of the project – the final excavations on the site for the foreseeable future – will enable us to offer valuable real-world experience to Leicester’s Archaeology students and opportunities for community volunteers.”