Archaeologists have uncovered another section of the majestic mosaic at the Roman baths in Plotinopolis, Didymoteicho, in northern Greece. 90 square metres out of a total of 140 square metres have been currently uncovered and present the unusual – for the area – theme of sea creatures. The west side of the central scene depicts sea centaurs, dolphins, Nereids, and the young Evros, son of the king of Thrace Kassandros, emerging from the water. The newly revealed section shows two sea horses and two cupids, framed by panels decorated with birds and nature patterns. One cupid is holding the sea-horse, while the other appears to be thinking. The mosaic is made of glass and it is surrounded by tendrils and ivy leaves, a fact that according archaeologists honours the Greek god Dionysus. The mosaic dates to the second half of the 2nd century AD and the beginning of the 3rd century AD, and belongs to a triclinium (a formal dining room with three beds) bath. As the excavation process continued, archaeologists came to the conclusion that the site used to operate as a public Roman bath and was not part of a luxurious villa as they had originally thought. Archaeologists also uncovered four stone wheels, axes and spears, indicating that the building operated as a pottery workshop during the early Christian period (4th-5th century AD). Plotinopolis was a Roman city founded by Emperor Trajan in the early 2nd century who named after his wife Pompeia Plotina. The city would later be one of the most important towns in Thrace. The archaeological site is located northeast of Didymoteicho, on the hill of St. Petra, where Greek soldiers found Roman emperor Septimius Severus’ gold bust in 1965. Source: Greek Reporter [November 18, 2014] (Ratna)
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 23:17:35 +0000
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