Mon Prof Augmenté
Laying a Roman floor mosaic
Age 12 · Art
Roman craftspeople made floors by pressing tiny cubes of coloured stone into wet mortar. Together the cubes formed bold geometric patterns held inside strong borders.
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In the picture
- Tessera: a small cut cube of stone, set by hand
- Mortar bed: the grey base that holds each cube in place
- Geometric pattern: rows of black and white cubes forming shapes
- Border: a wide frame that closes in the pattern
Examples
- A black-and-white tiled floor in an old Roman villa or bathhouse
- A modern pixel picture, where tiny squares build a bigger image
Key takeaways
- Tesserae are small stone cubes pressed into mortar.
- Strong borders frame the geometric patterns of Roman floors.
Quiz: Laying a Roman floor mosaic (Age 12)
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What were Roman floor mosaics made from?
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What job does the border do on a Roman mosaic floor?
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What kept each cube of a Roman mosaic in place?
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