Lullingstone Roman villa
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Lullingstone Roman Villa is situated near Eynsford in northwest Kent, England.
The earliest stage was built around 80 AD and it lasted until the 4th Century. It underwent several reconstructions and additions, including a heated bath block and a dining room with a fine mosaic floor with one illustration of Zeus, disguised as a bull, abducting Europa and a second depicting Bellerophon killing the Chimera.[1]
A Romano-Celtic temple-mausoleum complex was constructed around 300 AD to hold the bodies of two young people. Although one of the lead coffins was robbed in antiquity, one still remained in situ with grave-goods, undisturbed when excavated.
In the 4th Century a group of rooms of the main building were apparently converted to Christian use, with painted plaster on the walls, including a row of figures of standing worshipers, (orans), and a characteristic Christian Chi-rho symbol [2]
Finds include two Romano-Greek marble heads, now in the British Museum, portraying either the villa owners, their ancestors, or the then emperor Pertinax and his father[3]
It was discovered in 1939 and the villa was excavated in the period 1960-1970 and is now preserved under a specially-built building.
A similar site exists not far away in Orpington, Kent, Crofton Roman Villa
[edit] References
- ^ Article on the Lullingstone mosaics
- ^ Murals from Lullingstone and other related artifacts on the British Museum website
- ^ Times article, 30th July 2006
