New light on mosaic metrics : Research at Villa A, Torre Annunziata – Italy– -50 B.C. -A.D. 79

The paper presents the findings of research and excavation carried out on the pavements decorating the Roman Villa A in Oplontis (modern Torre Annunziata, Italy). A variety of different techniques, including metric analysis, petrographic analysis and excavation, have been employed in order to determine mosaic workshops and illuminate aspects of the villa’s construction and renovation history. The pavements of Villa A, dominated by black-and-white geometric mosaics, present a few anomalies, such as unusual alabaster thresholds and over-painted black bands. This evidence, along with the generally high quality of the pavements throughout the villa, argues for both extreme wealth and economizing renovations during the villa’s two-hundred year history. (Excerpt from the author’s abstract.)