6 4 



tions, floors and pavements of an extensive and important villa were 

 soon uncovered and examined. The principal rooms of the villa 

 were found to have been paved with rich mosaics. The first 

 tesselated pavement displayed was thirteen feet square, having a 

 framework of concentric bands, richly ornamented, which converted 

 the centre of its field into a panel. On this appeared the mosaic 

 figure of a fine human head, full faced, of a swarthy complexion, with 

 short beard and moustache. There were six curious chevron-shaped 

 rays radiating from the back of the head. That this figure was 

 intended as a likeness there cannot be much doubt, nor that so 

 gorgeously embellished a head must have represented some im- 

 portant personage of the Roman power in Britain. It has been 

 suggested with great probability that this head was a representation 

 of the Emperor Severus, who reigned A.D. 193-21 1. This Emperor 

 was born in Alrica, A.D. 146, and died in Britain, at York 

 (Eboracum), A.D. 211, in his sixty-sixth year. In A.D. 201 

 Severus, with his wife Julia and his two worthless sons, Caracalla 

 and Geta, came to Britain. Leaving his family in South Britain, 

 Severus with his legions went north to the Caledonian War. The 

 profile of Severus on his coins shows slight beard and moustache in 

 harmony with the Hemsworth mosaic — so if this surmise is correct, 

 the date of the pavement may be assigned to the earlier portion of 

 the third century A.D. This pavement has been removed to Crichel 

 House by Lord Alington, the owner of the property, and relaid 

 there. 



The second pavement (which we term the " Venus ") is of even 

 more beautiful design, and is represented and described on Plate VI, 

 which is reproduced from an excellent coloured scale drawing by G. 

 Brumell, Esq., a.r.i.b.a. This pavement has been removed to the 

 British Museum. 



Another pavement of the Hemsworth villa was laid in black 

 and white tiles, 7^ inches square, the white being of marble, the 

 black of Kimmeridge shale, which is a most unusual material, and 

 this is our only known instance of its use for such a purpose, but 

 when waxed and polished it was probably effective and striking in 

 appearance. 



Seven other pavements were uncovered, mostly having geo- 

 metrical designs, but all had been more or less injured by time, etc. 

 A fine specimen of a Roman bath was also found, with its drain. 

 Also the hypocaust was exposed, with many of its bricks and tiles 

 in position showing the peculiar arrangement adopted for conveying 

 hot air from the furnace to the various rooms of the mansion. In a 

 pit near the Venus pavement were found a collection of broken pots, 

 bricks, tiles, etc. Some o f the stone tiles had the rusty remains of 

 nails still sticking in their holes ; these tiles were of the elongated 

 hexagonal pattern. All this — and more might be added if space 

 permitted — bears fullest testimony to the luxury of this Roman 

 settlement, for the villa to the conquering Roman was like the 

 squire's hall in our modern times and was furnished with all that 

 artistic skill could achieve or acquire. 



