Bignor Roman Villa

The Roman villa at Bignor is a former Roman villa near the modern village of Bignor in the District of Chichester in West Sussex in England. The villa is mainly known for its numerous mosaic floors. The remains can be visited today. It also is one of the largest Roman villas dating back to the province of Britannia ( Britain).

Location

In ancient times, the Villa was located at the so-called " Stane Street", a Roman period street that Londinium ( London) with Noviomagus regnorum ( Chichester ) joined.

History of Research

The remains of the villa were discovered by accident in 1811 by plowing. Excavations took place in the following years. Already in 1813 one of the mosaics was protected by a building. 1815 published a guide to the ruins. Further excavations took place in 1925, from 1956 to 1962 and in the following years.

History of the Villa

A first simple construction of wood was erected AD at the end of the first century. However, the oldest remains found one timber construction date from the late second century. Only in the middle of the third century this house was replaced by a stone building first. It was a rectangular building with four rooms. This building received a short time later, a portico, a hypocaust and side wings. In the third construction phase, a north and south wings were added. It was built in a first bath. In the fourth construction phase, which belongs to the fourth century, the building was again greatly expanded. The building, which previously consisted of three wings, the east wing was one, making the buildings formed a square with a large courtyard. Numerous mosaics were designed and additional rooms were hypocaust. The building was probably abandoned in the fifth century.

The most famous mosaic of the villa is Zeus as an eagle and Ganymede dar. It was discovered in 1811. It was in a triclinium in the north wing. This mosaic consists of two parts. In addition to the field with the Ganymede there are six hexagonal, each with a dancer. In the middle you will see is a stone water basin. The room with this mosaic was on a 67 meter long corridor, which is still decorated to 25 meters with a geometric mosaic, which was excavated in 1975. Another well-known mosaic represents Cupids as gladiators and the head of a Venus dar. It found himself in a heated room with an apse, in which it has perhaps acted to a winter dining room. The Gladiator frieze consists of four scenes. Another mosaic shows a Medusa and a dolphin. There is a mosaic with the four seasons. Numerous mosaics wear simple geometric patterns. There are also extensive remains of wall paintings, some of them imitated mosaics. In the villa there were stucco that were painted and marble decorations copied and decorated with geometric patterns limestone slabs.

Pictures

Venus