Archive · 1 Sep 2025
Roman London Frescoes Unearthed in Southwark
Imagine finding pieces of a very old, colorful painting from when the Romans lived in London!
That's what happened in Southwark.
Workers dug up the pieces, which were part of the walls of a fancy building.
A specialist named Han Li is putting the pieces back together.
These pieces show pictures of flowers, people, and other things.
They were hidden for almost 2,000 years!
The paintings are like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
The building may have been a luxurious home or an inn, and they are trying to see what it looked like back then.
Painted wall plaster fragments were discovered during an excavation in Southwark, London.
The plaster dates back to the early Roman occupation of London, starting in 43 AD.
The fragments, from a villa or inn, depict images like flowers and faces.
Han Li is reconstructing the frescoes, the largest of which is 16 feet by 10 feet.
The find is notable due to the quantity of plaster and reconstruction efforts.
- Who
- Han Li, building-material specialist at Museum of London Archaeology
- What
- Restoration of Roman painted wall plaster discovered in Southwark, London.
- When
- The excavation took place in 2021; the plaster dates back to early Roman occupation (43 AD).
- Where
- Southwark, London, near the Thames.
- Why
- To reconstruct and understand the artwork from a Roman villa or inn.
- Location
- Southwark, London
- Discovery Date
- 2021
- Estimated Age
- 1,800+ years old
- Material
- Painted wall plaster
- Original Purpose
- Adorned walls of villa or upscale inn
- Largest Fresco Size
- 16 feet by 10 feet