18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Aldi construction uncovered Roman mosaic in UK

A team of Oxford Archaeology archaeologists discovered a Roman mosaic in the market town of Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.

Ahead of the construction of an Aldi grocery store, archaeologists began excavations in Olney, Oxford Archaeology said in a Wednesday, news release. A known Roman settlement was located close to the future supermarket.

Angle Property, the developers, commissioned Oxford Archaeology for the study due to the close proximity of a Romano-British settlement on the town’s northern outskirts.

Archaeologists discovered a “high-status” Roman structure with two small and one larger room. According to the release, the building’s largest room had portions of a mosaic floor. The mosaic, which dates back at least 1,600 years, once covered the entire floor of the room. The tiling along the room’s edge was the best preserved. The large mosaic has intricate decorative patterns made from pieces of red, white, and blue tesserae.

Oxford Archaeology
Photo: Oxford Archaeology

John Boothroyd, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology told the BBC: “We anticipated some notable Roman remains, but the discovery of this fantastic mosaic far exceeded those expectations,”.

Archaeologists described the “beautiful” mosaic as having “vibrant” colors and “intricate decorative patterns.”

Anthony Williamson, the executive director of the site’s developer, Angle Property, said in the release that “the mosaic find is amazing and has taken us all by surprise.”

The Roman empire controlled parts of the U.K. from 43 A.D. until 410 A.D., according to Britannica. Archaeologists have not provided a more specific estimate for the age of the ruins.

Despite the discovery of a number of Roman artifacts within the boundaries of modern-day Olney, evidence suggests that the town center was not occupied until the Anglo-Saxon or early medieval periods.

Excavations at the villa have revealed that a large portion of the complex extends beneath a nearby modern road, making it difficult for the team to fully investigate. In order to safeguard the mosaic from the upcoming construction projects, the remains are currently being reburied and being recorded and preserved in situ.

Related Articles

Interesting Social Dimensions of Rare Diseases Seen in the Bronze Age

10 March 2021

10 March 2021

When it comes to Rare Diseases, what almost all of us think of is that this disease has affected very...

A Remarkable Underground City Discovered Beneath Historic Yazd Homes in Central Iran

26 January 2025

26 January 2025

A remarkable ‘underground city’ was discovered under five historical houses in the ancient town of Abarkuh in Yazd province in...

Archaeologists found 5 unique sculptures representing the Kakatiya art style in Siddipet

19 July 2021

19 July 2021

13th-century statues were found near a temple tank in the Siddipet district in the northern province of Telangana, India. On...

High-status Macedonian tomb discovered in ancient Aegae, Central Macedonia

2 April 2024

2 April 2024

In the ancient city of Aegae (present-day Vergina) in Imathia, Central Macedonia, during the construction of the sewerage network, tomb...

A 2,000-year-old ancient “mirror” throws light on aristocratic life in China

17 May 2022

17 May 2022

Archeologists in Beijing have successfully reconstructed a 2,000-year-ago dressing mirror once cherished by the high nobility during the Han Dynasty....

Queen of Seas Who Challenged Rome: ‘Queen Teuta’

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

Illyrian Queen Teuta is one of the most extraordinary figures of Illyrian antiquity and of Albanian heritage. She was also...

2,300-Year-Old Gold Ring Reveals Jerusalem’s Hidden Hellenistic Rituals

27 May 2025

27 May 2025

A remarkable gold ring recently uncovered in Jerusalem is offering fresh insight into Hellenistic-era rituals, ancient jewelry traditions, and the...

A stone bathtub, which is considered to be the first example of ‘water birth’, was found in Ani Ruins

7 September 2022

7 September 2022

A stone tub was found in the large bath, whose birth was mentioned in a work by the Turkish scholar...

3,000-Year-Old Twisted Gold Torc Discovered in Essex, southeast England

16 July 2023

16 July 2023

A metal detectorist has discovered a 3,000-year-old part of a twisted gold torc in a field near Mistley, on the...

A large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar has been unearthed in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud

26 June 2023

26 June 2023

Archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, working with an Iraqi excavation team, have unearthed a...

Archaeologists discover medieval a tableman gaming piece in Bedfordshire, England

26 April 2023

26 April 2023

Archaeologists in Bedfordshire, England, have made an intriguing discovery: a tableman gaming piece was discovered at a medieval site. Cotswold...

A massive Rune stone found under a kitchen floor in Denmark declared treasure

8 June 2023

8 June 2023

A couple in Denmark discovered a massive rune stone weighing approximately 900 kilograms during a home renovation project that planned...

Researchers solve the mystery of Mayan 819-day calendar

24 April 2023

24 April 2023

Researchers at Tulane University in Louisiana have solved the mystery of the 819-day ancient Mesoamerican calendar used by ancient Mayans....

7,700-year-old Pottery of a Human Head and Jewelry Workshop Unearthed in Kuwait

28 November 2024

28 November 2024

A team of Kuwaiti and Polish archaeologists have uncovered a jewelry workshop at the prehistoric Ubaid period (5500–4000 B.C.) site...

The largest marine turtle fossil of its kind ever discovered in Europe unearthed in Spain

21 November 2022

21 November 2022

In northern Spain, scientists discovered the remains of a new species of enormous marine turtle. The prehistoric creature is the...