This film shows the excavation of a mosaic depicting a charioteer at Rudston Roman Villa, in the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1971. It dates to the 4th century AD and decorated a high status Roman building. The central panel shows the victorious charioteer standing in his 'quadriga' or four-horse chariot. He holds symbols of victory - a palm frond, a wreath and the winner's crown. Four roundels placed around the central image depict the seasons as beautiful women. The film...

This film shows the excavation of a mosaic depicting a charioteer at Rudston Roman Villa, in the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1971. It dates to the 4th century AD and decorated a high status Roman building. The central panel shows the victorious charioteer standing in his 'quadriga' or four-horse chariot. He holds symbols of victory - a palm frond, a wreath and the winner's crown. Four roundels placed around the central image depict the seasons as beautiful women. The film opens showing archaeologists using specialised techniques to rescue a mosaic by rolling it up like a length of carpet around a large metal cylinder. A closer view shows archaeologists applying what might be clay to help support the tessarae, the individual tiles which make up the mosaic, as it is lifted. The archaeologists move the rolled mosaic very carefully, as the ancient artwork is particularly fragile. A closer view shows missing tesserae in part of the structure. A view follows of other archaeological work at the site. A closer view shows one archaeologist carefully brushing old stonework, and using a small, pointed instrument to remove debris from one area. Another view shows details of the charioteer mosaic as archaeologists work towards the top and bottom of the mosaic. Another view shows the mosaic from a different angle. A closer view shows the large central disc with the charioteer’s image. The film ends as an archaeologist does some gentle chiselling using a fine pointed tool on one part of the mosaic.