Floor mosaics have long been known to be an ornamental feature of Roman interior decor. Those unearthed in Alexandria feature in houses with central courts, surrounded by columns. Most were in ruin when they were discovered. For 40 years, excavation has run parallel with restoration. The Polish Centre for Archaeology has been working the site, first with the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria and subsequently in collaboration with Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Some striking finds stand out.
One of the most unusual, found on the site of the future Alexandria Library, is a mosaic in a private house which has a dog wearing a red collar as its central medallion. The dog sits before a broken jug, its tail curling around its hind legs. This is typical of the work of the second century. Patterns are composed of small cubes of variously coloured stone or marble. The dining room of another Roman house, excavated in the garden of the former British Consulate in Alexandria, yields a plain mosaic floor.