The Late Roman Mosaics from the Villa of Pont del Treball Digne, Barcelona

Abstract

The construction of the new La Sagrera high-speed rail line station in Barcelona revealed a new archaeological site whose remains were identified as a roman villa. The studies undertaken have allowed the foundation of the settlement to be dated to the first half of the 1st century BC and to identify different building and refurbishment phases. The most important transformation of the pars urbana was undertaken in the late 4th century AD. We attest the creation of new living spaces dedicated mainly to the social functions of the villa and the representation of the dominus. A new decorative programme was also implemented at this time. It included two mosaic and opus sectile floors and marble wall linings. This process of enriching the domestic space took place in parallel with similar refurbishment programmes documented in the roman town of Barcino. The aim of this study is to conduct the compositional analysis of these late pavements. Moreover, some chronological appreciations about the pavements construction can be made, due to ceramic studies.