The Latest Archaeological Discoveries about the Mediana Mosaics

Abstract

Although the Mediana mosaics have been present in the scientific literature for almost hundred 150 years, available relevant sources and data describing them are relatively scarce and incomplete. The excavations carried out in the area have so far revealed a number of mosaic floors within five villas, a thermae and an Early Christian church. The only mosaics subjected to a more detailed study are the ones found in the ‘peristyle villa’. There have been several attempts to date the Mediana mosaics more precisely, mainly based on their stylistic characteristics. The accepted chronology designates the findings at the Tetrarchy Period of the late 3rd and early 4th century AD. However, the most recent archaeological studies have established an even more accurate timeline based on the comparative analysis of the site’s stratigraphy, architectural remnants and numismatic recoveries. Owing to a recently published Mediana Numismatic Catalogue, we have made a topographic overview of such findings recovered from the facilities ornamented with mosaic floors, so that the mosaics themselves could be dated more accurately. The control probe under the mosaic in the north porch of the peristyle revealed a highly important coin from the period of Constantius II (341-346), which ultimately sets a terminus post quem for the assembly of this villa’s mosaic. In an attempt to establish more accurate dates and provide evidence for their positioning within the Mediana site, the following characteristics have been used: • The summary of the archaeological recoveries from both Mediana and the whole of Naissus; • bringing the above mentioned data in connection with known historical facts about the 4th century emperors’ periods of residence and/or visits to Mediana and Naissus.