PR-2237IRE Ancient Rome

A mosaic
found at
Herculaneum
Activity Box
Roman Life – Homes
Mosaics on the floors or walls of Roman villas were patterns
or pictures made up of thousands of tiny, coloured cubes
of stone called ‘tesserae’.
They were pressed into wet plaster or concrete to form scenes,
geometric patterns or portraits. Roman mosaics developed from
Greek mosaics around the second century BC. Most used coloured
stones or tiles but some were just black and white. There are
mosaicists who designed patterns and cut the stones into the
required shapes before they were delivered to a site.
1. Follow the procedure for the pattern or the picture to make your own mosaic.
pattern
picture
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
Use centimetre-square graph paper
and cut off a rectangle 8 cm x 10 cm.
Rule up centimetre squares on
coloured card. Use three different
colours. You could share colours if
working in a group of three.
Cut up the ruled coloured card into
centimetre squares.
Decide on a pattern and glue the
coloured squares onto the rectangle.
You could cut your coloured squares
along a diagonal and use the
resulting triangles in your design.
Your finished artwork should give you
the effect of a Roman mosaic.
2. Describe your artwork.
A mosaic of sea creatures was found in Pompeii’s ruins.
(a) Get an adult/teacher to break up coloured
ceramic tiles/plates inside a couple of strong
plastic bags using a hammer.
(Discontinued tiles can be obtained free or
cheaply from tile retailers).
(b)
(c)
(d)
Use the shallow lid of an old plastic lunch
box or cardboard box to make a frame.
Spread soft modelling clay over the lid/
frame or mix some cement/plaster of Paris
into a thick consistency (one part cement,
three parts sand and one part water).
Partly press broken crockery/tiles into the
plaster/cement and design a pattern or
picture of your own.
Viewing Sample
3. Mention any difficulties and how you overcame them.
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