Researchers from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) have successfully reconstructed a significant collection of Roman wall plaster, solving a complex archaeological puzzle that has remained hidden for nearly 1,800 years. This remarkable discovery was announced in a recent press release by MOLA, highlighting the efforts of Senior Building Material Specialist Han Li, who meticulously pieced together thousands of fragments over three months.

The collection, the largest of its kind ever found in London, was unearthed in the Southwark district, where it once adorned a high-status Roman building. This building, which was demolished before AD 200, featured vibrant frescoes decorating approximately 20 internal walls. These artworks have now been reconstructed to reveal their full splendor for the first time in centuries.

The frescoes were designed to showcase the wealth and taste of the property owner, featuring unique yellow panel designs interspersed with black intervals and adorned with images of birds, fruit, flowers, and lyres. Such yellow panels are rare finds from the Roman period, having been identified at only a few sites across Britain.

In addition to the frescoes, historians discovered remnants of the artist’s signature framed by a tabula ansata—a decorative tablet used for signing artwork in the Roman world. The signature includes the Latin word “FECIT,” meaning “has made this,” although the artist’s name remains unknown due to a broken fragment.

The site also revealed graffiti left by former owners and visitors, including a drawing of a crying woman with a Flavian period hairstyle and inscriptions of the Greek alphabet. These inscriptions might have served practical purposes such as checklists or references.

Han Li described the experience as a “once in a lifetime moment,” expressing both excitement and nervousness during the reconstruction process. The discovery offers a vivid glimpse into Roman Britain from 43 A.D. to 410 A.D., an era when Romans exerted significant influence over the region. Recent archaeological finds continue to shed light on this historical period, including an unusual eight-sided ring and a gypsum-filled Roman grave discovered earlier this year.