1. The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
University of Bristol
The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Mosaics in Archaeology Teacher Resource Pack
This pack contains information and activities suitable for KS 2 students.

2. University of Bristol
This pack contains information and activities suitable for KS 2 students relating to curriculum: The Roman Empire and its Impact on Britain.
This pack contains:
An introduction to Roman Mosaics
An art based activity- Design your own Mosaic
An analysis page – What can designs tell us?
Learning Outcomes
By using this pack, pupils will explore:
Aspects of society and art in Roman Britain, and the relationship between the two societies.
Artwork as a historical source.
Material culture as a means of identifying past people.
By using this pack, pupils could demonstrate:
Artistic and observational skills.
An understanding of religion and mythology.
An understanding of how material culture survives.
Curriculum Links:
History – How historical artefacts can tell us about the past and the people.
Geography – How styles of mosaics change depending on where they are found.
Literacy – New vocabulary and the ability to critically analyse work.
Art and Design – The creativity of designing a mosaic to represent the student.
Numeracy – Beginning to introduce counting separate artefacts and working with mathematical shapes.
This pack is designed as an archaeological implementation into a history lesson, bringing in analytical thinking into artefacts that archaeologists find. If the subject of archaeology has not been approached before, briefly outline what an archaeologist does, and how this ties in with what the students learn in History. The students will need colouring pencils, examples from the internet possibly, and the activity and analysis pages that come in this pack.
Begin with a class discussion about what mosaics are, what they represent, and where somebody would expect to find one in a Roman setting. Introduce the concept of two cultures combining to create new artworks that represent both. Use the discovery page during this section. (30 minutes)
Hand out a design your own mosaic sheet to each student, allowing them to design their own piece of art based around something that they relate to or associate with everyday life. (20 minutes)
Students can then swap mosaics, and fill out the analysis sheet to see if they can identify what the mosaics depict, and what they mean. Link this back to how archaeologists learn about past people through artefacts such as mosaics and artworks. (10 minutes)

3. Discovery : Roman Mosaics
University of Bristol
Discovery : Roman Mosaics
During the time of the Romans many building were decorated with mosaics. Mosaics were tiny coloured stones (tesserae) which when put together in a pattern with thousands of other stones created a work of art. They were stuck to the floor using mortar, a type of cement.
Romans used mosaics to create art about their everyday life, history, literature and even Gods and mythology. These amazing works would tell stories, that people even now can learn about. For example, the picture at the top of the page is a mosaic found in Lullingstone Villa, Kent, that shows the story involving Europa and the Bull.
In England, the Romans created mosaics that would show their own religious gods, mixed with Gods that the English (or Celts) believed in. This can tell us how the two different societies interacted with each other and learned about different beliefs.
Not only were mosaics nice to look at, they represented how important somebody was, or how wealthy they were, just by owning one in a home. This tells us that objects and art are more than just items with functions, they can tell us more about the people who used them; about their lifestyle, traditions, and customs, as well as their importance, hobbies, or even jobs.
In Archaeology, we look at all kinds of artefacts and try and work out who the people were that made them, and what they were like, just by looking at the design, shape, and pictures that we can see.

4. Activity Design your own mosaic
University of Bristol
Name Date
…………… ……………..
Activity
Design your own mosaic
Using what you learnt in the Discovery Section, create your own mosaic designs based on a story about yourself, or everyday activity that you do, just like the Romans did. Imagine that it will be discovered years from now, how interesting can you make the design but make it still clear enough for people to understand years from now when they see it.
Ideas: A holiday you have been on, a celebration, or an every day activity such as feeding your pet, eating dinner with your family, or going to school.

5. Fill in the question sheet
University of Bristol
Analysis
Fill in the question sheet
What do you think the mosaics show?
………………………………………………..………………………………………………..……………………………………………………
What do they tell you about your friend?
What could your friend add to help you understand what they are like?
What could other people know about you from seeing your mosaics?
Why do you think mosaics are important to archaeologists?

6. Sources for this pack: