Colour and mosaics

How were mosaics made?

Mosaics were made by skilled craftsmen working to selected patterns laid out by mosaic designers. Many mosaic designs were copied from place to place as can be seen at Aldborough and Woodchester. At Fishbourne Roman Palace, in Chichester, there are over sixty mosaics, some of which can be seen in the museum built over the site. Methods for making the mosaic varied according to the craftsmen and the site, but the materials almost always came from local sources. Many of the mosaics found in Britain are made from Purbeck marble, giving a range of colours from grey to purple.

Romano-British mosaics

Early floor mosaics replaced woven wall hangings, and were originally produced using naturally worn pebbles, selected for their size and colour. The change to using stone cut into tesserae meant that a greater range of colours was available. Although mosaics were widespread in the Mediterranean and Near East they were virtually unknown in Northern Europe before the Roman conquest. With the Roman armies came a variety of skills and fashions, and the use of mosaics to decorate floors and walls spread rapidly to Britain.