Rome, Italy

After a five-year dig in the side of Rome’s Palatine Hill, the archaeologists excavated a deluxe banquet room, which is estimated to date back to around the first or second century BC. The room had a sizable, brightly coloured wall mosaic.

The work, which is estimated to be around 2,300 years old, was part of the larger aristocratic mansion which is near the Roman Forum that has been excavated since 2018.

The mosaic scene, which is five meters long and features depictions of vines, lotus leaves, tridents, trumpets, helmets and mythological marine creatures, was created by using shells, corals, mother of pearl, flecks of marble and shards of precious glass.

The piece was framed using spongy travertine, polychrome crystals and ancient Egyptian blue tiles.

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Speaking to CNN, head of the Colosseum Archaeological Park in charge of the site archaeologist Alfonsina Russo said that this discovery is “unmatched” not just because the mosaic has been found completely intact but also because it has celebratory scenes of naval and land battles carved on it.

The intricacy of the carvings of victory on the mosaic has left the team working on the project surprised. Archaeologists have been making efforts to figure out if the delicate and expensive coral branches, which have been used in the display, belonged to the area near the Mediterranean or the Red Sea.

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As per the team, a rare bluish glass paste – which has also been used in the design – is likely to belong to the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria.

Extremely rare find, says archaeologist

“This banquet hall, which measures 25 square meters (270 square feet), is just one space within a ‘domus’ (the Latin word for house) spread on several floors,” said Russo, while speaking to CNN in an interview.

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“In ancient times, when powerful noble families inhabited the Palatine Hill, it was customary to use rich decorative elements as a symbol to show off opulence and high social rank,” he added.

The chamber, which has been called a “jewel” by Russo, earlier existed as an outdoor banquet hall overlooking a garden, which most probably was used for entertaining guests during summer.

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“We have found lead pipes embedded within the decorated walls, built to carry water inside basins or to make fountains spout to create water games,” Russo said.

Meanwhile, professor of Roman antiquities and head of the mosaic lab at Rome’s Università degli Studi di Roma Marco Rossi said, “Mosaics are usually found on floors, but this runs across the entire front wall and has been incredibly well-preserved. It’s not been ruined by the weight of debris — as can happen to some mosaics on the ground — and despite being delicate, it hasn’t so much as chipped across the centuries.” 

(With inputs from agencies)