Roman Footsteps – the story behind the Chilgrove mosaic at the Novium
During the spring of 1963, Chilgrove Valley farmer Mr Alf Tribe embarked on his routine field ploughing at Wellmeadow, to the north of Chichester, only to make a thrilling historical discovery.
Beneath the surface of the agricultural landscape lay a hidden gem, frozen in time for almost 200 years. Preserved among the plough soil sat the remains of a Roman villa, a glimpse into the life of RomanoBritish farmers.
On the day of the discovery, Alf’ s ploughs truck a stone object in the soil, later confirmed as a Roman column. Subsequent excavations in the area led to the discovery of two Roman villas, believed to have been constructed in the 2nd century AD, built for farming purposes, evidenced by the presence of stockyards, barns and granaries.
Both villas create the impression of a prosperous household, with luxuries such as mosaics and bathhouses.
An archaeological examination of the Chilgrove I site, at which a large section of mosaic was discovered, now on display at The Novium Museum, unveiled fascinating information on its history and development.
While there is no firm dating evidence, the villa is believed to have been built around the 2nd century AD and comprised five rooms, alongside a potential corridor spanning the east side of the building. From the end of the 3rd century AD, the villa began to flourish and was rebuilt on a larger scale, with roughly the same plan. In addition to this, a bathhouse was added on the south end, while an improved stockyard with barns was constructed.
From the 4th century AD onwards, mosaic flooring was added to principal rooms and several modifications to the bathhouse were implemented. However, as we progress into the 4th and early 5th century AD, a dramatic change can be seen in the villa.
A portion had burned down and the bath suite was robbed of building stone. Signs were present of squatter occupation. Overall, however, the villa can be interpreted as a signifier of the prosperous nature of RomanoBritish farming.
Arguably, the polychrome mosaic flooring excavated from Chilgrove I room six is one of the most thrilling discoveries. Although the central motif is missing, the mosaic is a piece of great beauty and craftsmanship, boasting a colour palette of red, white, yellow, grey-blue and brown tesserae. Its intricate design incorporates knots, buds and petals into a symmetrical pattern, however the piece has suffered a large amount of damage over its lifespan.
Although well designed, the mosaic was poorly laid and was set into only a few inches of dirty mortar. Additionally, archaeologists believe the mosaic may have been damaged in antiquity by a post-hole, as well as the burial of an infant in one corner. Furthermore, the continual farming and ploughing of the fields will have inflicted damage upon underlying features.
Only approximately half of the mosaic piece remains but the original size spanned 16ft 4in square. The remnants provide an impressive vision of Roman interior design and an insight into the character of the household.
The Chilgrove villas tell us much about the farming and agricultural practices of the Roman period.
As a celebration of Chichester’s rich Roman heritage, The Novium Museum will be running Chichester Roman Week between May 28 and June 1. An exciting range of walks, talks, craft activities and more will be on offer, enabling everyone to delve into the city’s great Roman past and learn more.
The events will culminate in a free, large scale, re-enactment in Priory Park on Wednesday, June 1 – a fantastic day out for all the family. To book tickets, visit www.theno vium.org/ romanweek.