One of the most well-excavated Roman villas in Wales is Caermead villa north of Llantwit Major, on the south coast in South Glamorgan.
The villa is built around an 'L' shaped courtyard and there are several buildings of different sizes for various domestic and agricultural purposes. The villa was discovered in 1888 but it wasn't excavated fully until 1938-48.
There is evidence of neolithic or Iron Age humans at Llantwit Major, but archaeologists believe that the Roman villa dates from the first century AD, while the foundations of the stone structures were put down during the second century. The villa is notable for its mosaic floors. The villa was abandoned during the fourth century. It is not thought that the villa was connected with Saint Illtud, who founded an abbey at Llantwit Major in the fifth century AD, in anyway.
Part of Usborne’s popular cut-out model series, Make This Roman Villa offers children aged four to eight a fun and interactive history lesson on the grand architecture and lifestyle of the ancient Romans.
Designed and illustrated by Iain Ashman, the historically accurate model of a Roman nobleman's villa can be made with only a tube of glue, a ruler and a pair of scissors or a craft knife. The completed model measures 605mm x 458mm (24 x 18in) along the base and includes the main house, courtyard, servants’ quarters, a storehouse, workrooms stables. Decorative details include colonnades, statues, urns, grapevines, trees, wells and pool. There are also more than 20 cut-out figures with which to populate the finished villa.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, they say but, fortunately, this villa can be easily built in under an hour with adult assistance (a little or a lot, depending on the age of your young builder/s).
Submitted by Bija Knowles on Wed, 11/25/2009 - 09:26
In the small town of Casola di Napoli, about three miles south of the archaeological site of Pompeii, sheer chance has brought to light an archaeological discovery – as well as some unanswered questions. A lorry driver was manoeuvring his van when he managed to cause some subsidence in part of a car park between two residential buildings. A hole opened in the ground – revealing a stone arch and some walls.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 13:31
A rich Roman town house discovered beneath Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre cannot be preserved in its present location thanks to damage from earlier modern building works. The astonishing house, complete with under-floor heating, was discovered by builders working on the famous theatre's £26.5million redevelopment. Workers immediately got in touch with archaeologists - and work has been halted until the remains can be fully removed.
Yet expert James Holden tells the BBC earlier 20th century projects have left the house in a bad state: "A lot of it has been disturbed by earlier buildings, when they built this theatre in the 30s and when it was redeveloped in the 80s," he says. "A lot of the archaeology has been removed so there isn't enough of it left to preserve it in situ."
Curated by National Gallery, Washington, D.C, 'Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around The Bay of Naples' features sculpture and other artworks excavated from the villas of San Marco at Stabiae, and dei Papiri at Herculaneum, as well as from the houses of the elite of Pompeii. A collection of objects discovered in the Bay of Naples make their US debut as part of the exhibition, alongside the previously-exhibited artworks.
Submitted by Bija Knowles on Mon, 08/31/2009 - 12:16
Construction work at Cambridge University has been put on hold as a routine survey of the ear-marked land has shown the presence of Roman ruins. The site, between Girton College and the Huntingdon road – itself an old Roman road known as the via Devenna – is some distance outside the town of Cambridge, which was founded on top of the Roman town of Duroliponte. This is the latest of several archaeological digs on Roman towns taking place in the UK this summer - others include the towns of Venta Icenorum at Caistor St Edmund and Calleva near Silchester.
Submitted by Bija Knowles on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 07:58
A third-century AD house from the Roman period has been uncovered at excavations in the City of David in Jerusalem. The building covers about 1,000 square metres and has emerged during a dig that is being carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
Dr Doron Ben-Ami is the excavation director on behalf of the IAA, and he believes that the house was centred on a large open courtyard encircled by columns. He said: “Galleries were spread out between the rows of columns and the rooms that flanked the courtyard. The wings of the building rose to a height of two stories and were covered with tile roofs”.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 09:15
You've just finished a Calippo, had a lunchtime cider and staggered towards the tube in shorts and flip flops - and not a green leaf in site. You stumble onto a packed train and instantly lose ten pints of water, face buried in the pungent pits of a Bulgarian banker. You could go to the city's myriad museums this weekend to grab a piece of the ancient world - but why not escape the madness of the metropolis, and get your fix outside the city limits? Three beautiful Roman villas are waiting for you with open arms, and stunning scenery. All you have to do is jump on a train (or car - or even bicycle if you're feeling really intrepid/suicidal). Not only will you be able to breathe easy once again, but you'll also get a slice of daily Roman life you can't get from looking inside dusty cabinets.
Construction work at Cambridge University has been put on hold as a routine survey of the ear-marked land has shown the presence of Roman ruins. The site, between Girton College and the Huntingdon road – itself an old Roman road known as the via Devenna – is some distance outside the town of Cambridge, which was founded on top of the Roman town of Duroliponte. This is the latest of several archaeological digs on Roman towns taking place in the UK this summer - others include the towns of 
A third-century AD house from the Roman period has been uncovered at excavations in the 
