Archaeologists have unearthed two mosaics featuring the infamous character of Medusa at an ancient villa, once used by the Antonian emperors of Rome. The Villa of the Antonines was named after the dynasty of emperors that included Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Veras, and Commodus, the emperor famous for taking part in gladiator battles in the Colosseum. The murals were discovered in niches cut into the walls of a 69-foot circular room in the villa.
The mosaics likely date from the 2nd century C.E. and depict Medusa, known for her venomous snake hair and ability to turn a person into stone, looking off into the distance. During a presentation at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in January, the team excavating the site wondered about the thoughts running through Medusa’s mind in the murals and whether contemporaneous visitors to the villa had similar musings.
The circular room was likely a reception area for those who lived at the villa. The directors of the excavation team, Timothy Renner and Chatr Aryamontri of Montclair State University in New Jersey, noted that Medusa heads were often used for decoration in the 2nd century. It is unclear if the villa’s owners specifically ordered the mosaics or if they were created on the whim of the artist who worked on the room.
The area around the villa saw significant looting and “troop movement” during World War II, and artifacts are often discovered during excavations. The goal of the researchers is to create an archaeological park at the site in the future. Despite most of the villa’s decorations being removed during the 18th and 19th centuries, finding the Medusa mosaics in the niches was a pleasant surprise.