More information : Roman villa at ST 78451602, discovered during digging of post-holes in 1963, excavated in 1963 by Peers and Dewar of Dorset County Museum and by K S Painter in 1964-5, under the supervision of Professor Ian Richmond. It proved to be a substantial villa with its main buildings ranged round three sides of a courtyard and bounded on the fourth side (the south) by a ditch. Two mosaics were discovered, one in the NW range of buildings and another in the NE range. The latter, which features a bust with the Chi-Rho symbol tentatively interpreted by Toynbee as a representation of Christ, was lifted in 1965 and relaid in the British Museum. Finds indicate a late 3rd to 4th century date for the occupation of the villa. The mosaics are definitely 4th century, and parallels in detail with other local examples suggest the work of a single school of craftsmen. Coins range from 270 to 400 AD, and there is a complete absence of Samian pottery. An outstanding find was an iron window-grille believed to be one of the most perfect examples discovered outside Italy. (1-4)
There are no surface remains of this villa; the site has been covered over and now lies under rough pasture. (5)
Description of the Roman 'side-board' recovered during excavation. (6)
Discussion on syncretiatic symbolism and the Christian Roman mosaic. (7)
Description of the mosaics. (8)
Additional bibliography. (9-11)
(It is suggested that the parish boundary for Hinton St Mary may be of Romano-British or Celtic origins since the villa is sited in the centre of the parish (10,p.52))
DO 18 Villa with the famous chi-rho monogram on a mosaic pavement, the bust depicted possibly of Christ or Constantine. (12)
Discussion of the Chi-Rho mosaic as one of the House of Constantine, possibly Constatntine the Great, and the implications of 4th century imperial culture. (13) |