United Kingdom: A mosaic of Achilles’ battle with Hector discovered by chance

Archaeologists at United Kingdom described as the “most enthusiastic discovery in a century” made by a farmer’s son by chance. He found in their field a mosaic mosaic from the time when Britain was under Roman occupation, which represents the battle of two ancient heroes to the death. Experts believe that this is his battle Achilles by Hector!

And while his triumph Achilles on him Hector took place in Troy, on its banks Aegean Sea, the mosaic was found under a wheat field in Rutland, in the area of ​​the east Midlands. The work, which measures 11 by seven meters, is the only known mosaic in United Kingdom which derives its subject matter from Iliad of Homer and one of the few in Europe.

The mosaic is part of a greater discovery. It belongs to a part of a villa, the existence of which was ignored by historians, but also by the current owners of the land. It belonged to a wealthy Roman family who lived there between the 3rd and the 4th century AD. The ruins of the building were found by him Jim Irvine during his walk in August last year. “A simple walk with my family in the fields turned into an incredible experience and discovery,” he said, adding that what initially piqued his curiosity was finding some clay fragments. “The fact that I found clay pots among the wheat sparked my curiosity and so we did more research.”

He searched the internet for images of the field from a satellite and then noticed that there were signs of buildings under the ground. He then contacted the local authorities and they reported the discovery to the local archeological service. “The finding tells us a lot about the people of the time and gives us a new perspective on their knowledge of classical literature,” he said. John Thomas Deputy Director of its Archaeological Services University of Leicester.