Abstract
The use of ornamental stonework in buildings was one of many important innovations introduced by the Romans into Britain. The demand for floor mosaics spread rapidly throughout the province and has been the subject of detailed study but other aspects of decorative stonework, including opus sectile paving and wall veneers, which were no less a sign of conspicuous wealth, have attracted little attention. This paper, therefore, attempts to trace the fashion for ornamental stones in interior and exterior design by examining the evidence from London. Despite the severe limitations of the archaeological evidence, shifts in taste and changes in the types of stone used can be discerned from the London material, which seem to reflect wider commercial activities within the Roman empire. When the material is compared with other parts of the province regional differences become apparent, emphasising the high status London enjoyed from the late first century A.D.
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