Fordington mosaic

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Fordington mosaic
Fordington mosaic in 2023.jpg
The Fordington mosaic in 2023
Artist Dorchester School of Mosaicists
Year2nd century AD
Type Mosaic
Subject Oceanus
Dimensions715 cm× 480 cm(23.5 ft 2 in× 15.6 ft 189 in)
ConditionPartially complete
Location Dorset County Museum, Dorchester

The Fordington mosaic, also known as the Fordington High Street mosaic, is a Roman floor mosaic from the 2nd century AD, found in Fordington, Dorchester in England, in what was once Durnovaria; [1] [2] it is now on display at the Dorset Museum. It depicts Oceanus, marine life, and the ocean. [3]

Contents

History

Fordington mosaic excavation.jpg
The Fordigton mosaic being excavated in October 1927
Fordington mosaic completion celebration.png
Mosaicists Giomeria Zanetter (left) and Sidney Smith (right) with the Dorset Museum curator Captain John Edward Acland (middle), celebrating the final completion of the laying of the mosaic on 5 December 1927

Roman history

The Fordington mosaic was created by the Dorchester School of Mosaicists during the 2nd century AD (previously believed to have been created during the 4th century AD); it is believed that they created this mosaic due to their specific style of theming mosaics around sea gods and marine life. [4] It was created for a town house on the outskirts of Durnovaria and was a pavement mosaic. [5]

The town house

The town house was located on Foundry Yard [6] near 12–14 [7] and 16 High Street, Fordington [8] and was also located near to the town gates of Durnovaria. [7] The town house was probably built no later than the 2nd century AD and was then likely demolished shortly after the Romans left England around 410 AD, [8] suggesting the house was abandoned.

The town house was first excavated in 1927 to preserve the mosaic, [9] and alongside it two knives were found, with one being dated to the Anglo-Saxon period. Two fragments of 1st century AD terra sigillata were then found underneath the mosaic after it had been fully excavated, and the original floor was sealed using flint rubble, painted plaster and ceramic roof tiles from the Roman period. [6]

It was later excavated in 1970, 1998 and 2001 to 2002 and during these excavations, the former location of the mosaic, and the town gates to Durnovaria, were also identified. [10] [7]

Modern history

The Fordington mosaic was discovered in 1903 on the site of Lott & Walne's Fordington foundry(who were founded in c. 1830 and traded between 1899 and 1953), [11] [9] and it was rediscovered on 5 October 1927 with the help of poet Thomas Hardy, [12] who as a result of excavating the mosaic became ill and died shortly after. The mosaic was lifted in late October 1927 from a pit which reached around 0.9–1.2 metres (3.0–3.9 ft) in depth. [13]

The mosaic was subsequently donated to the museum in November 1927 by Proprietors J. J. Walne and O.C. Vidler and was installed into the floor of the Dorset Museum by Giomeria Zanetter and Sidney Smith (the completion date of the mosaic installation was 5 December 1927). [12] [14] It was then described by Vidler in 1928. [9]

The mosaic stayed in the floor of the museum until it was dismantled and moved onto the Atrium wall of the museum shortly before the museum reopened in May 2021; the conservation work was undertaken by Lee Kimber, Richard Ball and Brian Bentley. [15]

Description

Detail of Oceanus as depicted on the Fordington mosaic Fordington Mosaic detail - Dorchester.jpg
Detail of Oceanus as depicted on the Fordington mosaic

The mosaic is incomplete, with parts of the lower section of the mosaic no longer existing today, [5] and its design consists of a head of Oceanus, two dolphins and red-finned fish, while six red tesserae of a figure once occupying the central octagon are also present. [3]

It has been described as being identical in style to pavement mosaics of a similar date found at Bignor and Cirencester [15] and it measures 715 cm × 480 cm (23.5 ft 2 in × 15.6 ft 189 in). [3]

References

  1. ↑ Cosh, Stephen R. (2008). Mosaics from Buildings 13 and 6 (PDF) (978-1-874350-46-0 ed.). Wessex Arch. p. 4.
  2. ↑ Cosh, S. R. and Neal, D. S., (2006), Roman Mosaics of Britain: Volume II: South-west Britain, London, Society of Antiquaries
  3. 1 2 3 "Fordington mosaic". www.wessexmuseums.org.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "Roman mosaics in Dorchester". www.thejoyofshards.co.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  5. 1 2 'Plate 225: Roman Mosaics in Dorchester and Weymouth', in An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 2, South east( London, 1970), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol2/plate-225 [accessed 4 August 2024].
  6. 1 2 "EDO4439 - Foundry Yard, High Street, Fordington, Dorchester; excavation 1927". Dorset Council. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Cox, P. W. and Robinson, S., (1998) ‘Dorchester, Old Foundry Site, Fordington High Street’. Proceedings of the Dorset Archaeological and Natural History Society 120, 103,
  8. 1 2 "16 HIGH STREET FORDINGTON CSO, DORCHESTER, DORSET, ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AND RECORDING". archaeologydataservice.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 Vidler, O. C., (1928). ‘Description of Romano-British pavement originally found in 1903 and re-discovered on October 5th 1927’. Proceedings of the Dorset Archaeological and Natural History Society 49, 89–100,
  10. ↑ Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1970. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the county of Dorset. 2, South East.
  11. ↑ "The Foundry, Fordington High Street, Dorchester, Dorset". Historic England. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  12. 1 2 "How do you move a 2000-year-old mosaic without breaking it?". www.hardysociety.org. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  13. ↑ Bellamy, P. S. (2002). 16 HIGH STREET FORDINGTON CSO, DORCHESTER, DORSET, ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AND RECORDING. Terrain Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.5284/1031849.
  14. ↑ "Conservators re-install Mosaic in Museum". www.dorsetmuseum.org. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  15. 1 2 "Reinstallation of the Fordington Mosaic at Dorset Museum". www.clivedenconservation.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
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