Lullingstone Roman Villa
At Lullingstone (east of London in Kent) the remains of a Roman villa were richly furnished excavated. In particular, the fragments of wall paintings with Christian themes attracted nationwide interest.
Location
The villa of Lullingstone is located in a small valley near the River Darent. It is situated on a hillside and is particularly well preserved, because over the centuries the earth from the upper part of the slope slid down and it covered the ruins of the villa and therefore protected.
History of the building
First traces of settlements date from the period before the Roman conquest of Britain. There were shards and coins dating to AD 1 to 43 n. Architectural remains have not been found from this period.
A first stone building was built here around 100 AD. This building is architecturally difficult to grasp because it is obscured by later alterations. But it was certainly a simple portico villa with corner projections. The building was in the lower part of the walled flints. The structure was perhaps a half-timbered building. For this construction also included a basement, which consisted of two rooms, which remained in operation until the end of the villa. Behind the villa ( in the west), a kitchen building was built.
The building was expanded between 150 and 180. Have been added on the south side of a bath. The basement had two additions, in the second construction phase of these doors was bricked in the first phase. The resulting niche now received a painting with the presentation of three nymphs. The remaining walls were painted, but little of it preserved. The transformation implies that the basement was transformed into a sanctuary. The owner at that time seems to have been quite wealthy, or at least he was the owner of two marble busts, a rarity in the Britannic province. In the second century, a circular building was built just north of the villa. The function is unknown, but is believed that it was a small chapel.
In the third century, the Roman Empire experienced a period of economic decline. The villa seems to have been neglected, but she has not given up as yet suspected the excavators. Coins and shards suggest a continuity of settlement. At the beginning of the fourth century a mausoleum west of the villa was built. It consisted of a central area around which was a deal. The construction is thus similar to a Roman - Gallic temple with. In a pit in the central room were two lead coffins in which the skeletons were of a man and a woman. There were numerous additions, including a bronze vessel, four glass bottles, two knives and two spoons. Noteworthy is a game board with 30 tiles made of glass that lay on one of the coffins.
Next to the villa a Getreidespreicher was built at about the same time. He was 24.4 x 10.7 m tall, making it one of the largest in Britain. The building had a raised floor so that air could circulate underneath.
To 350 the dining room of the villa was an apse and was equipped with a mosaic. By 360/ 370, the owners seem to be converted to Christianity. A room has been transformed into a Christian chapel and received wall paintings with Christian themes. These show the villa owner and his family in prayer position, along with the Christian Chi -Rho. Shortly after 400 burned down the mansion and was never rebuilt.
The murals
The villa has its outstanding importance, especially by the discovery of the wall paintings of the fourth century.
Partly painting fragments date back to the second century. In the bathroom there was a fragment that shows a fish. The fragment was found in Frigidarium that was, therefore, perhaps, decorated with a seascape, how was popular in bathrooms. Others still adhering to the wall fragments show a simple decoration fields. From the second century, the niche comes in the basement with the representation of three water nymphs.
The paintings of the fourth century were found in the basement and turned over once adorned two rooms of a house chapel whose decoration can be reconstructed in outline. The wall is the best preserved west wall. The base is probably a marble imitation dar. Furthermore, there are six pillars between which, in turn, are single figures on a white ground. The columns are framed by ribbons. The figures seem to float and have spread their arms. Only one figure raises her right hand in greeting. The second figure from the left is the best preserved and is also highlighted by a curtain, which is get behind her. Up to the penultimate figure all the men seem to be.
The east wall is getting worse and whose reconstruction is difficult. The base area is occupied in turn by imitation marble. In addition there is a box with six columns. In the center is a circle with the Christian Chi -Rho. Between the columns people seem to be shown who approach the central field. The reconstruction of the third zone eventually is to speculate here could possibly columns but have also found ornamental bands. Both decorative elements were found, but can not be attributed with certainty wall.
The north wall shows the base area with marble imitations and also numerous columns, in the middle of which was obviously a figurative scene. In the upper field, there was the Darstelluneg a landscape with buildings.
In the south wall there was the door of the room. To the right of her was located above the base zone again a box with a framed from column center scene. In the upper field, a Chi -Rho was.
The anteroom was simpler, on a wall, a Chi -Ro, framed in a circle and of a geometric pattern was.
The paintings are of particular importance, since there are few testimonies of Christian wall paintings dating from the fourth century. In Britain they are unprecedented. The style is simple and clumsy. there are few hints of light and shadow or perspective.
The mosaic
The mosaic in the dining room of the villa shows two scenes. In the actual apse the Abduction of Europa by Jupiter is depicted as a bull. Europe, half naked, sitting on the bull. The scene is flanked by two cupids. The rear pulls the tail of the bull and obviously trying to prevent the abduction. Above the scene a Latin inscription that translates as:
This phrase is an allusion from the first book of the Aeneid, in which Juno, wife of Jupiter the wind god Aeolus persuaded to ignite a storm to defeat Aeneas on his journey to Italy. This scene clearly demonstrates the high educational level of the villa owner.
The second scene of the mosaic shows Bellerophon as he rides on Pegasus and a chimera kills with a spear. This image is framed by four round medallions in which in turn are representations of the bust of the four seasons.
Finds
In the villa there were a number of remarkable properties. In the first place the two marble busts are mentioned. They can be stylistically dated to the second century and are working from the Mediterranean. Mostly it is assumed that we are dealing father and son, who were successively owners of the villa. A more recent theory, however, states that here the later Emperor Pertinax and his father Publius Helvius Successus are shown. Pertinax was before his elevation to the imperial governor of Britain and according to this thesis, the Lullingstonevilla was the country residence of the governor.
A cameo shows the Winged Victory holding a sign and in front of a breastplate, which is part of a trophy. The one of the best that have ever been found in Britain. It consists of carnelian.
Excavations
The villa was discovered in 1939, although there was speculation since the late eighteenth century that there are remains of a Roman building. Excavations took place in 1949 and lasted 12 years. The villa is now prepared for visitors.