FRANCE: Ancient mosaics uncovered at heart of old Gallic Roman town of Nimes

At the heart of the ancient town of Nîmes, routine building work has led to a unique and fascinating discovery dating back to the town's history as one of the principal cities in Roman Gaul. Work was taking place on an underground carpark in the southern French town when the INRAP (National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research) uncovered two magnificent Roman mosaics at the end of June. The two works, measuring 35m2 and 50m2 respectively, date from the second century A.D., and the smaller of the two is among the best-preserved examples in all Roman Gaul. "There is a first mosaic that is not very well preserved but has an interesting design, with references to Trojan mythology, that shows an episode linked to the life of Achilles," explained Scientific Coordinator of INRAP, Jean Yves Breuil. "We are always in about the same era, at the end of the second century A.D. It's a bit early to date it, but we are round about that sort of time. The second mosaic is frankly exceptional. Why? Because it is very, very well-preserved, the structure of the design is very complex, a mixture of medallions, curves, and the central motif is unique for a mosaic. It shows a gigantomachy, that is a battle between the gods and the giants, in this case Dionysus or Bacchus for the Romans, fighting the giant Eurytos," he said. The pieces would have decorated the floor of the main reception rooms in one of the grandest houses in the city, and work has also revealed a courtyard with a decorative basin and well, along with the remains of painted trompe l'oeil walls. "So here we are obviously in the home of someone who could afford to buy mosaics, without doubt an important figure in the ancient city of Nîmes," said Breuil. Today the archaeologists are undertaking the painstaking work of removing the mosaics from their original settings. "It's also the case for mosaics that we remove them in a very meticulous manner. They are stuck together, then the mosaic floor is cut into blocks of several metres squared, then we are going to transfer them to museum storage in order to study them and restore them ready to put on public display," Breuil explained. Since October 2006, thirty five archaeologists have been undertaking a survey of the extensive Roman walls and excavating the remains of the ancient town, already famous for its Roman Amphitheatre, the 'Square House' (a temple dedicated to the descendants of Augustus) and a network of viaducts including Gard Bridge.

ITN Source | July 28, 2007

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