Roman Mosaic Floor from Lod

Here's an amazing Roman mosaic floor, C. 300 A.D.
that was discovered in the Israeli town of Lod
in 1996
and has been touring the U.S.
prior to its permanent installation
back in Isreal.

It's about 50 X 27 feet

Overall, the design is not so happy.

I'm guessing that the contractor
showed the client a book of animal drawings
which were then cut and pasted
into a design,
much like the interactive
play station that accompanies this exhibit.

The central panel feels especially cluttered,
although it's also very difficult to see
since viewers can only stand at the edges of the floor.

But the details are quite delicious.

The patterns were made
using cut pieces of stone
and it's kind of amazing
how carefully their edges line up.


No one knows the identity
of the person who commissioned this work,
but seeing how many of the scenes
feature dripping blood,
I'm guessing he was Roman.