Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1854-10-26
Roman Tesselated Pavement,

street. BisAorsgase. IA
Proceedings were commenced on Mo"uay
last for the removal OF this pavement, uhaef
the direc ton Of Mr.. Hinton, It's destlnalloh
being, we understand, the new Crystal rai-
ace at Sydenham. -,
This relic Of the ancient splendor OF Lon
don, ut tho time when it fiourished as NO
man colony under the title of Augusta, was
discovered about the beginning OF the last
month, about fifteen feet from the surface,
and about two lower than the foundations
of the Gresham House, on the site Of which
the excise Office was built. The extent Of
the pavement comprises square OF TWEEN
ty-eight feet. It is composed in geomet-
rical pattern OF broad lines, forming ,ntersec-
tons of octagon and lozenge compartments.
The octagon figures are bordered win
cable pattern shaded with gray, and inter,
laced with a square border shaded with req
and yellow. In the center, within ring,
are expanded flowers shaded in red, yello"
and gray; the double row of leaves, radla
ting from figure called true love Knot,
alternating with figure something IKE the
tiger lily. Between the octagon figures
are square compartments bearing various
devices--that in the center OF the pavement
being decorated with the figure OF Aridane.
or Bacchants, reclining on the back OF pan
ther, the remains of which indicate spirited
action but only the fore paws, one OF the
hind paws, and the tail remain. Over the
head OF the figure floats light draPery.
forming an arch which she retains with the
right hand, while the left appears TO have
rested on the panther's neck. Another
square contains q two handled vase. In the
at the sides of the pattern,
are lunet,es, one Of which contains tan
ornamented, another, bowl c'owned with
flowers. The lozenge intersections are va
riously embcllished, with the figures OF
leaves, shells, true-love- knots, checkers,
aud an ornamented shape like dice-box.
knots. Surrounding this pattern there Is
a broad border composed OF a cable pattern,
broad bands Of blue and white alternately,
then bold enc losure of a floral scroll; and
beyond this an edge demi-lozenges in alter
nate blue and white. An outer border com
posed of Fplain red tisserac surrounds the
whole.
The ground of the pavement is white, and
the other colors are scale of red, yellow,
and biueish gray; agreeing with the des-
cription BY Lucretus Of the decorations OF
Roman theatre:
The theatre whose awnings broad,
Believed with crimson yell or the uni OF stcieei-
uieal.
This pavement is evidently Of late work
manship, but it is pro bable on its removal,
another or vestiges Of another, Of earlier
late will be found. This is indicated by an
edge which appeared at about foot lower,
md is to be perceived little off to the side.
Various Roman and medieval articles havcIs
,een turnd up in the same excavation. A
nong these is silver denarius of Hadrian,
everal copper coins Of Constantic, small
copper coin, bearing on the reverse the flg-
res of Romulus and Remus sucked by the
radtionary wolf under the fig tree at the
'etinate Hill, and several Roman and me
lieval tiles, a small glass of fine blue coli
n, and fragments Of Roman and medieval
,oins.
About the same time with the discovery
n Broad street, large deposit of Roman
lebris was found in an excavation upon the
lite of the Church of St. Benets Fink in
rhreadneedle street, consisting Of Roman
lies fue tiles, fragments of pottery OF the
,lack pale, and red Samian fabrics, glass,
to-; among which were stays horns, a
lorse's skull, and a..quantity of red tissarae,
we're also found; together with some other
medieval remains, Fragments Of two an
ent stone coffin lids were turned up, the
most ancient of which bears on the side of
a circular-heade cross, an ornament of
n,erlaced work, similar to that used in
saxon ornamentation.-I Illustrated London
Seus