Mosaic discovery sheds fresh light on England’s early medieval history

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The newly dated 'Dark Age' mosaic was discovered in one of Britain's most beautifully located and famous Roman villas - Chedworth in Gloucestershire. The new fifth century dating strongly suggests that several other mosaics at Chedworth and elsewhere in Gloucestershire don't date from the period of Roman rule in Britain, but from after it collapsed. Intriguingly, recent research suggests that the Cirencester area was home to one of Dark Age Britain's most famous people – a sixth century historian called Gildas. “I am still reeling from the shock of this dating," said a leading Roman mosaic specialist, Dr Stephen Cosh, One of Britain's top experts on fifth and sixth century archaeology, Professor Ken Dark of the University of Reading, author of Britain and the End of the Roman Empire, told The Independent that "the implications of the mosaic's date are substantial".