Mosaics to go on show for first time

The historic flooring, unearthed during a 1970s excavation at the village, will be displayed during a lecture programme at the High West Street attraction on Saturday, June 15.

The Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics (ASTROM) is staging the event, which will include information about mosaic dolphins and tiles from Roman Dorchester.

A book on Roman mosaics by experts Steven Cosh and David Neal will also be launched during the event.

The session comes after Dorset County Council was accused of neglecting mosaics at the Roman Town House in Dorchester and amid renewed interest in Dorchester's Roman heritage.

Campaigners have called for the town's Roman baths to be opened and 5,000 people queued to look at newly uncovered mosaics at the former Dorset County Hospital site last summer.

The ASTROM event comes amid an exhibition at the Dorset County Museum about the Roman villa unearthed at Dewlish, near Dorchester, in the 1970s.

The luxurious villa, which is buried underground now, had more than 50 rooms and most had mosaic floorings.

Organisers have invited 30 researchers to draw up illustrated reconstructions of how they think the site may have looked centuries ago.

They were asked to deal specifically with the dining rooms and kitchens - and their creations will be on show for the public to view.

Visitors will be asked to pit their wits against the researchers by using the same information to dream up their own vision of the villa.

Organiser John Hodgson said: "This is a great chance for everyone to test their ability to assess the evidence of archaeology."

The exhibition will also include a history of the various owners' use of the rooms. There will also be line-drawings of red clay tiles, grey limestone roof tiles, window arch colonnades, stone quoins and other finds.

The exhibition runs until June 25. To book places for the ASTROM event call the museum on (01305) 262735.