The Story Of The Lopen Roman Mosaic
00:00 - Introduction
00:18 - Discovering the Past
19:29 - Remaking the Past
33:28 - Protecting the Past
41:46 - Credits
A handful of stones and a pair of sharp eyes changed people. The ripples are still being felt in the lives of those who were here at the time and in the lives of those who learnt from the experience.
The occasion was the use of a digger, the stones were of various colours and roughly cube-shaped. The pair of eyes belong to the digger driver needed to clear a new driveway. He took them into the house where he had been working and after a brief discussion with the owner realise that more needed to be known about why they should have been found where they were. No time was wasted on that October morning. The County Archaeologist when informed contacted an archaeologist who lives in a neighbouring Village who was called in to come and have a look to see what had been found. His experience told him that they were clearly likely to have been used for the making of a mosaic pavement in a high-status building during the early part of the first century after BCE. The story that unravelled over the next few weeks and the subsequent years have had a dramatic effect on our understanding of this landscape and village.
Very soon it was apparent that what was found was of major importance; subsequently of national significance. Found in autumn the mosaic was close to the surface of the ground. If it had been left open to the winter weather to come and unprotected it would have broken up and be lost for ever. In the following month what had been discovered following the excavation had to be carefully cleaned, recorded and protected. It was expertly covered and buried again to make sure that it was not damaged and remained in its original position.
What you are about to see is the story of the early events and what we had learnt during that time and since. People of all ages from who were from this village and the surrounding area at the time and happened to be living here were involved in the process. And many had by chance additional skills and expertise to help unravel the story. What we can now understand and in looking back over the succeeding years, realise how this event has had a much wider effect then just on those few people who happen to be living in this village. You will be able to meet some of them on the film not only shortly after the original find but also now as they look back on the effect that it has had on their lives, work and careers.
Project manager - Angela Naunton-Davies
Produced & directed by Justin Owen in 2002
Пікірлер: 37
Lopen was my grandmother's home before moving to Canada. Her mother's surname was Osborne. Such a delightful discovery
Wow, what a great story! I especially enjoyed the way the community was involved in the recreation of one of the original designs. History coming alive for the participants, some of whom could conceivable be related to the inhabitants of the area back in the 4th century.
Really good documentary. Moving, funny and poetic in many ways. A great way to examine a people is to see the way they treat their past.
I'm grateful the right people have been in the right place at the right time.
I love the reproduction and its instillation into a current community building!
Thank you for such a wonderful film about roman mosaic discovery. There are lots of thing to learn from this video. Love to see the enthusiasm of the site communities, the deeply knowledged researchers, the humble & expert photographer lady, the expert of stones the direction of the movie and more. Absolutely marvelous
Wonderful! I love how the cat goes in to join the community unveiling of the mosaic in the church, too.
@chalmer31
Ай бұрын
I loved that, too.
Lovely that everyone who wanted to be involved got to help sort the tesserae.
Inspired thought provoking film! And bless you for leaving Sir Tony in Jersey.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful film. You really coaxed out the personalities involved; not just the experts, but also characters such as the two local men of Lopen chatting away together. Best wishes from Aotearoa New Zealand!
What a delightful group of English country folk… I hope the culture remains vibrant and intact despite future immigration.
So well done. Wonderful example of the documentary form. ❤
My heart breaks that the mosaic was covered over. However, it was the only way to preserve it.
A "hierarchy" of skills! These people love their hierarchies. People learning skills is NOT the same as an inherited artificial ladder of how VALUABLE people are.
@thomasbell7033
Ай бұрын
Oh, lighten up. You went all the way around the block in search of a social grievance in this wonderful little doc. Not finding said grievance, you invented one.
Mick Aston!
Moltes gràcies! This is most interesting ❤
VERU well done! Thanks for some quality up here!
Huge fan of Dr. D. Neal. Such knowledge. Wow!
great video.history of Britain is very much like that of its geology..sedimentary layers..metamorphic outcroppings..and igneous intrusions...very much like that of Italy...including that of Rome...this video makes me ask what the ancient Romans would have done if "they" found remnants of a previous civilization in their backyard?From what i've read the Romans erased all they found of Etruscan Civilization...even though they absorbed so much of that cultures zeitgeist.Basically... Roman Hellenistic civilization wanted in no way to be associated with anything that was 'in fact a 'true' part of their past'...Great Britain ? Gotta love that country..and those people..get down on their hands and knees and embrace their past. An inspiration.Thank you for this film
fundraising is needed in order to exhibit it in its place and charging entrance fees...greeting from San Francisco, CA
The group cut the ancient tesserae stones "to make them fit"? OMG.
This is really interesting, but when was the mosaic discovered?
@stconstable
Ай бұрын
Over 20 years ago in 2001. Hairstyles and clothing give away that this wasn't recent.
The London and lopen Mosaic possibly made by the same artist ?
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The mosaic they made to remember the original is now under a rug in the church, really?
I wonder when idolatry of the roman empire will end. The mosaic is beautiful. I take exception to the archeologists statement that local people post-roman "robbed" the site. Poetic justice since the romans had robbed their ancestors of their land.
@athanksgivingbaby570
Ай бұрын
The romans in Britain were mostly a change in government. The forts were manned by people from outside Britain, but otherwise the romans preferred to work with local people. Chances are a roman villa in Britain was owned by romanized britains.
@johnreimerdorratt5491
Ай бұрын
Building materials, walls etc, when not us used, are not " Robbed ", more likely recycled, into what was later needed,
I think 2001 it was discovered
16:25 LOL, how old is this statement? It has been recently proven by archeology that nothing went dead after Rome withdrew from Britain. 😢 There was no such thing as "dark" ages in Britain after Romans left the governing to the locals
Since it’s only geometric shapes and nothing about the Roman gods it might have been a Christian home.
@danacomstock7598
8 күн бұрын
Thought that when I saw the fish!
Although it's impressive in style I think quite possibly this wasn't made by the maestro but possibly some of his juniors... it's not that well made..