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What a mosaic can tell us

Six articles beginning with the Zile find: the meaning of a word, the history of a town, Roman workmanship and the future of mosaics.

Zile: the work, the excavation and the town

  1. The Zile mosaic
    4 sections · 3 min read

    The Zile mosaic: an image of the good life

    A female figure, five Greek letters and a floor made of coloured tesserae. A Roman mosaic found in Zile offers another expression of the ancient taste for comfort and luxury.

  2. Rescue archaeology in Zile
    4 sections · 3 min read

    Excavating Zile: beyond the mosaic floor

    An inscribed pavement first reported in a garden in 2025 was followed by further mosaics and traces of rooms. The rescue excavation moves from the discovery of an image towards the history of a building.

  3. Ancient Zela
    5 sections · 4 min read

    From Zela to Zile: sanctuary, theatre and town

    A sacred centre described by Strabo, the terrain of Caesar’s battle and a theatre cut into the rock. Different kinds of evidence bring the ancient history of Zile into focus.

    Rock-cut seating on the slope, lower masonry rows and the adjacent road and houses.

Mediterranean art and mosaic culture

  1. Tryphe in the history of art
    4 sections · 3 min read

    The many faces of Tryphe

    A bust at Olba; a reclining woman on a panel said to come from Emesa. Different images of the same idea introduce the visual tradition behind the inscription at Zile.

    Mosaic of Tryphe and Bios reclining on the same couch, identified by Greek names.

  2. Space and workmanship in Roman art
    4 sections · 3 min read

    Mosaics in the Roman house: a picture within a room

    Thresholds, furniture and the people using a room shaped the meaning of its pavement. A Roman floor mosaic was encountered differently from a picture on a wall.

    The complete pavement, with broad geometric fields surrounding a figured scene.

  3. Mosaic conservation
    5 sections · 3 min read

    The second life of a mosaic: conservation and care

    Excavation exposes a pavement to new conditions. Managing water, recording change and providing regular maintenance are central to preserving the image.

    A conservation trainee kneeling beside a mosaic and completing a condition form.

Glossary

A glossary of mosaics and archaeology

Tessera, personification, triclinium: concise explanations of the terms used in the articles.