Ancient Roman Frescoes Unearthed in Southwark Reveal London’s Luxurious Past!
London’s Roman past has revealed yet another gem. During redevelopment works in Southwark back in 2021, archaeologists uncovered something truly extraordinary: a vast collection of fresco fragments, believed to have once adorned the walls of a lavish Roman villa dating back nearly 2,000 years. The area, now known for its busy streets and modern flats, was once the “Beverly Hills” of Roman London.
Photo Credit: Museum of London Archaeology
What makes this discovery even more impressive is the painstaking work that’s gone into restoring these ancient wall paintings. Han Li, a senior building materials specialist at the Museum of London Archaeology (MoLA), has been leading the reconstruction, likening the task to piecing together “the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzle.” The result? Around 20 walls’ worth of richly detailed frescoes brought back to life.
The frescoes themselves are vibrant and intricate, featuring birds, fruits, flowers, musical instruments like lyres, and delicately painted panels. Remarkably, the frescoes include a rare use of yellow pigment, something almost never seen in Roman Britain.
Among the fragments, researchers uncovered part of a signature carved into a decorative tablet known as a tabula ansata, a kind of label Roman artists used to sign their work. The Latin word “Fecit,” meaning “has made this,” is still visible. Unfortunately, the name of the artist is missing, likely lost to time.
Photo Credit: Museum of London Archaeology
Even more intriguing is the presence of faint graffiti. One inscription includes the only known example of the Greek alphabet from the Roman period ever found in Britain. This suggests the building may have had a commercial function, perhaps connected to trade or storage, alongside its domestic use.
The frescoes themselves echo styles from across the Roman Empire, showing clear influences from Roman art found in France and Germany. Archaeologists also uncovered painter’s guidelines and casual sketches, including one of a crying woman, small but evocative glimpses into everyday Roman life.
Andrew Henderson-Schwartz from MoLA described the find as a strong testament to the prosperity and importance of early Roman London, calling Southwark a “wealthy suburb,” much like today’s most exclusive postcodes.
This discovery not only enriches our understanding of Roman London’s architecture and aesthetics but also offers a deeper look into how the city was growing and thriving, investing in infrastructure, culture, and the finer things in life.
Work is still ongoing, with archaeologists continuing to examine the fragments. There’s hope that more pieces will come to light, perhaps even the missing portion of the artist’s signature. If so, we might one day know the name behind this incredible artwork that has survived, against all odds, for two millennia.