EDO4775 - Site of the discovery of a Roman mosaic, Olga Road, Dorchester. Ordnance Survey Site Visit.

A site visit was conducted by J. Rigg of the Ordnance Survey Archaeological Division on the 20 August 1954 at the site of the discovery of Roman mosaic at Olga Road, Dorchester in 1899. His site notes are recorded in the OS record card as follows. The area is under lawns and gardens. There were no surface finds and the householders had never found anything. Col. Drew, curator of DCM, had been interviewed on the 31 May 1953 concerning the find. He is recorded as saying: The pavement was found in 1899 when a drain was dug. "The pavement when whole formed the floors of three rooms communicating by two doors, 7' 4" wide. From observations and measurements made when the pavement was in situ, its three divisions seem to have extended across a building 26.5 feet wide from wall to wall. The spaces between the geometric decorated panels and the walls were filled with large red tesserae... The middle room measured 26.5 feet by 17.5 feet. The width of the other walls is uncertain, the north and south sides having been destroyed before discovery."