A Roman aquarium? Archaeologists find a 2,000-year-old mosaic with depiction of fish, dolphins

Archaeologists, while excavating the fourth-largest Roman settlement in Britain, made a stunning discovery of a floor mosaic that had a depiction of an underwater scene filled with fishes and dolphins.

Wroxeter Roman City in Shropshire was a Roman settlement and had a population of more than 15,000 nearly 2,000 years ago.

Archaeologists are still excavating Wroxeter as the ancient location continues to spill its secrets.

The floor mosaic was found by the archaeologists at a former townhouse in the city, which was known as Viroconium Cornoviorum.

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The mosaic has been described as "an aquarium frozen in stone" and depicts dolphins and fishwith the help of intricately arranged white, red, blue and yellow tiles.

The newly-found artwork was reportedly commissioned by "a wealthy and important person" who was staying at the building.

The ancient Roman city ofViroconium Cornoviorum was once spread over nearly 180 acres but in present times it is only a series of ruins, which is in the north of the modern-day village ofWroxeter.

Experts call the discovery of mosaic 'astonishing moment'

The latest excavations were carried out in July by the University of Birmingham, Vianova Archaeology & Heritage Services, English Heritage and Albion Archaeology.

Senior properties curator at English Heritage, Win Scutt, said that the mosaic's discovery was an 'astonishing moment'.

"We never suspected we would find a beautiful and intact mosaic, which had lain hidden for thousands of years," Scutt said.

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"It's always an astonishing moment when you uncover a fragment of beauty hiding just below the ground. This discovery, alongside a large number of small finds such as coins and pottery, will go a long way in helping us to date the various phases of the city and indicate the kinds of activities that were taking place," he added.

Archaeologist at the University of Birmingham, Dr Roger White, said that the existence of the mosaic after 2,000 years is "extraordinary".

"The new knowledge is startling evidence for the wealth and confidence of the founders of the city," said Dr White.

"This is breathtakingly emphasised by the extraordinary survival of a multi-coloured mosaic and substantial surviving frescoed walls built in the first few decades of the city's existence," he said.

"It is extremely rare to find both a mosaic and its associated wall plaster, and nothing like it has ever been found at Wroxeter before," the archaeologist added.

(With inputs from agencies)