Monument record MDO3992 - Roman Villa with Chi Rho Monogram, Hinton St Mary

Roman villa discovered in 1963 and excavated by the British Museum in 1964 and 1965. Structures revealed include a mosaic floor bearing a figurative central panel commonly, but not incontrovertibly, believed to show a representation of Christ, depicted in front of a chi-rho monogram.

Roman villa at ST 78451602, discovered during digging of post-holes in 1963, excavated in 1963 by Peers and Dewar of Dorset County Museum and by K S Painter in 1964-5, under the supervision of Professor Ian Richmond. It proved to be a substantial villa with its main buildings ranged round three sides of a courtyard and bounded on the fourth side (the south) by a ditch. Two mosaics were discovered, one in the NW range of buildings and another in the NE range. The latter, which features a bust with the Chi-Rho symbol tentatively interpreted by Toynbee as a representation of Christ, was lifted in 1965 and re-laid in the British Museum. Finds indicate a late 3rd to 4th century date for the occupation of the villa. The mosaics are definitely 4th century, and parallels in detail with other local examples suggest the work of a single school of craftsmen. Coins range from 270 to 400 AD, and there is a complete absence of Samian pottery. An outstanding find was an iron window-grille believed to be one of the most perfect examples discovered outside Italy. <1-4> There are no surface remains of this villa; the site has been covered over and now lies under rough pasture. <5> Description of the Roman 'side-board' recovered during excavation. <6> Discussion on syncretistic symbolism and the Christian Roman mosaic. <7> Description of the mosaics. <8>Additional bibliography. <9-11> (It is suggested that the parish boundary for Hinton St Mary may be of Romano-British or Celtic origins since the villa is sited in the centre of the parish (10,p.52)) DO 18 Villa with the famous chi-rho monogram on a mosaic pavement, the bust depicted possibly of Christ or Constantine. <12> Discussion of the Chi-Rho mosaic as one of the House of Constantine, possibly Constantine the Great, and the implications of 4th century imperial culture. <13>

Record last edited

Oct 2 2022 1:53PM