Discovery and Excavation
In 1727–1728, William George discovered the Orpheus mosaic while digging post-holes, describing it as "the finest pavement that the sun ever shone upon in England". [2] An engraving and drawing were made before the villa was reburied, and its location was forgotten. It was rediscovered in 1976, and the mosaic was fully restored by 1980. [3]
Excavations of the rest of the site continued under Bryn Walters until 1991, and the mosaic was protected by a roof in 2000. Since 2018, a new team has maintained the site, and the visible remains have been restored after a period of neglect.
Description
At its peak, the villa contained around sixty rooms, two thermal bath suites, numerous mosaic floors, and several heated hypocausts. The large courtyard villa enclosed an area of approximately 1 ha (2.5 acres), making it one of the largest in Britain. Many of the buildings were two storeys high and included five towers. The villa also featured a number of detached workshops and barns. The separate building with the triconch-form mosaics, attached to a large courtyard building, is interpreted as a religious cult center, possibly associated with the pagan revival under Julian the Apostate (361–363).
The triconch building is unusual, with similar buildings primarily found in North Africa and later in the sixth-century Byzantine world. The mosaic is typically interpreted in terms of pagan religious, involving Orpheus, Bacchus, and Apollo, suggesting the hall served as a cult center for these gods. Other buildings may have been adapted to accommodate visiting pilgrims.
History
The settlement originated as a small, short-lived military outpost guarding a road crossing of the River Kennet. It later became a small fortlet protecting the river Kennet route for water transport. [4] From 70 AD, the road remained in use, and the site came under local ownership, with circular huts being replaced in 120 by a Roman-style rectangular timber building (the West Range). In 170, this was replaced by a large two-storeyed winged stone corridor villa with an integral bath suite.
During the 3rd century, the surrounding towns and countryside prospered, leading to significant changes to the villa. In 190, a larger kitchen was added to the rear of the west range. In 220, the central room was fitted with a hypocaust, and a hot, dry-heat room (laconicum) was added to the baths, with the cold-plunge pool rebuilt with steps. In 250–260, the wings of the villa were extended with additional buildings.
Between 270–280, all the outer rooms and corridors of the west range were demolished and rebuilt. The baths in the west range were removed, and all the hypocaust floors were filled in to create a new set of rooms with mosaic floors. Wings connected by a first-floor veranda were completed with corner towers, the south tower featuring a hypocaust. The south range barn was converted into a residential building with a bath suite. In 290, the east wing was built, completing the enclosure of four wings and including a large stable block and an impressive gatehouse—the grandest in Britain—with three arched vaults supporting long rooms on the floor above, possibly used for grain storage.
The large building in which the Orpheus mosaic was later inserted was built next to the river between 60–80 as a round house. Around 100, it was converted to an open-sided barn with corn dryers and bread ovens. In 300, a small bath suite was added and extended between 310–350. The corn-dryer was demolished and replaced by a cold bathroom (frigidarium) and a changing room (apodyterium) with a fireplace.
The mid-4th century saw upheaval in Roman Britain, with many towns and villas damaged. At Littlecote, in 360, the barn-like part was converted into a courtyard, and the triconch hall was built alongside, complete with its own elaborate bath suite. [5] The now-famous Orpheus mosaic was laid upon its floor. Major functional changes also occurred at the villa, as evidenced by numismatic: farming ceased, and the exotic Orpheus Hall suggests that the site was converted into a religious center dedicated to the cult of Orpheus and Bacchus, which dates back to ancient Greece.
Many of the buildings were demolished or fell into decay around 400, shortly after the Theodosian legislation against paganism and before the Roman withdrawal from Britain. Two sub-Roman timber structures have been identified on the site.
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