Roman mosaics uncovered in France

At the heart of the ancient town of Nimes, in Southern France, routine building work has uncovered a unique and fascinating piece of ancient history. The find dates to the era when the town was a principal city of Roman Gaul. What the excavators discovered were two magnificent Roman mosaics.
The Roman mosaics date from the second century A.D. They were located by the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research, at a site where work was underway at an underground parking lot.
The smaller of the two mosaics is among the best-preserved examples in all Roman Gaul.
Jean Yves Breuil, scientific coordinator, said, "There is a first mosaic that is not very well preserved but has an interesting design, with references to Trojan mythology. The second mosaic is frankly exceptional. Because it is very, very well-preserved, the structure of the design is very complex, a mixture of medallions, curves, and the central motif is unique for a mosaic. It shows a battle between the gods and the giants."
These pieces would have decorated the floor of what must have been one of the grandest houses in the city. And the locations of the mosaics identify their sites as principal reception rooms.
But there's more: the archaeological work has also revealed a courtyard with a decorative basin and a well.
Now archaeologists undertake the painstaking work of removing the mosaics from their original settings.
"It's also the case for mosaics that we remove them in a very meticulous manner. They are stuck together, then the mosaic floor is cut into blocks of several metres squared,then we are going to transfer them to museum storage in order to study them and restore them ready to put on public display," said Jean Yves Breuil.
Thirty five archaeologists have been carrying out a survey of the extensive Roman walls. Slowly they are excavating the remains of the ancient town, already famous for its Roman Amphitheatre. Work began in October 2006.