Dr Pat Witts
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wittspat.bsky.social
Dr Pat Witts
@wittspat.bsky.social
1.5K followers 45 following 2.6K posts
Specialist in Roman mosaics, with particular interests in iconography and antiquarian illustrations; also hedgehogs in any medium. Author. Membership Secretary asprom.org (posting personally).
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wittspat.bsky.social
Following last week's monochrome elephant, this is another common type of depiction in Roman mosaics. From the Great Pavement at Woodchester, moving around Orpheus. 1/2
#MosaicMonday
@classicalalan.bsky.social
Part of a coloured engraving of a Roman mosaic showing an elephant moving towards the left. There are crossed lines on the animal's body.
November 17, 2025 at 2:36 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
For this #HillfortsWednesday, it's a favourite one: Eildon Hill North near Melrose, seen here from the road to Newstead (Trimontium). It's on the left in this picture, with one of its companions - Eildon Mid Hill - on the right, and can be seen for miles. 1/2
Two hills, the one on the left taller and wider, stand out prominently against a blue sky. There is a hedgerow in the foreground and a field between the hedge and hills, with a few houses on the far side of the field.
November 12, 2025 at 11:36 AM
wittspat.bsky.social
There's been a request for elephants in mosaic, and we always like to oblige! To start with, here is the splendid beast from the Horkstow Orpheus mosaic. 1/2
#MosaicMonday
#AncientBlueSky 🏺
@classicalalan.bsky.social
Part of a coloured engraving of a Roman mosaic showing a radial design with the 'spokes' drawn in simple guilloche. In the main compartment in this photo, a dark-coloured elephant is shown in profile walking to the right. The animal is depicted against the backdrop of a tree. In the smaller compartment above are two birds in profile, facing one another but with their heads turned away to look behind them. Between them is a triangular object with a vertical line above it, probably a stylised bunch of grapes on a stem.
November 10, 2025 at 11:07 AM
wittspat.bsky.social
By amazing coincidence, my offering for #HillfortsWednesday was already lined up when I saw the post below: the opposite view of the bench on which @pottedhistory.bsky.social is sitting! I believe there is a hillfort lurking in the distance on the right (Lordenshaws).
A metal bench with its back fashioned from leaf-shapes, seen from behind. The bench is flanked by green shrubs and faces a view of hills in the distance.
November 5, 2025 at 12:03 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Here are other photos of the two fragments in question.
November 3, 2025 at 3:32 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
For this #MosaicMonday, continuing to look at the fascinating fragments from Dinnington. A bird's head above centre is easy to recognise, but what is in the fragment below left? Seems to be figured work with two tiny red triangles. Ideas very welcome! 1/2
#AncientBlueSky 🏺
A tray of small fragments of mosaic nestling in tissue paper. Above centre is the head of a bird shown in profile facing right. Its red beak is prominent. Below right is part of a black and white triangular design. Below left is a fragment which is plain white in its upper part (as seen in this photo) but with a feature in its lower part bordered by grey and buff curved lines. There are two small red tesserae above the upper lines, protruding into the white. The lower lines have a sharper change of direction and below them are tesserae in a darker colour.
November 3, 2025 at 11:34 AM
wittspat.bsky.social
For #AdoorableThursday, doors don't come any more adorable than this! Spotted at the top of Castle Street (wonder where they got that name ...) in Warkworth. A quick look online suggests that this is one of many fairy doors in the town. 🧚🪄
On the right, a large tree in a pavement has a tiny door at the bottom of the trunk. In the centre background is an imposing castle on a grassy mound, surrounded by a low wall. Two cars are parked in front of the wall beside a road which curves across the lower left part of the photo. To the left of the cars is an ornate lamppost silhouetted against a pale blue evening sky with wispy clouds. The bottom of a tree trunk is set in a pavement. It has a small red door which is pointed and has a round window in the top. The door is set within a wooden surround with a pointed top. A tiny rope ladder descends from the threshold of the door to the tree roots which are surrounded by bare earth. The roots have small leaves and beside them, at left and right below the ladder, are two bricks.
October 30, 2025 at 12:13 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
#HillfortsWednesday wasn't on my mind when taking these photos last month, but it transpires that Dunbar Castle started life as a hillfort. Takes some imagination, especially as the harbour entrance was blasted through the ruins in 1844! 1/2
A harbour with castle ruins on a headland just left of centre. In the left foreground are stacks of blue fishing pots, and in the right foreground is a red boat. In the distance a headland juts out into the sea, just above left of the centre of this photograph; this is Dunbar Castle. The seashore curves from upper right to lower left with many red rocks. The sea only has a few white waves. Above the cliffs on the right are houses.
October 29, 2025 at 12:57 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
A certain site in Dorset has been in the news this week for its imminent TV appearance, so for #EpigraphyTuesday here is evidence that those Durotriges got everywhere! In the wonderful museum at Chesters on Hadrian's Wall, recording their building work. 1/3
A carved stone with two lines of an inscription sits on a shelf in a museum. The first line of the inscription reads 'C DVR[O]TR[I]G'. Red lettering on the plinth reads: 'Record of building work by the civitas of the Durotrigian people of Lindinis (Ilchester).' At bottom left is the word 'Cawfields' [where this piece was found]. At top right is 'RIB 1672' and at bottom right is 'B263' and 'CH267'.
October 28, 2025 at 11:16 AM
wittspat.bsky.social
A splash of colour for the first Monday after the clocks went back (in the UK). Wells Cathedral (with blue sky) from the Bishop's Palace Garden and from the Market Place (with rainbow), taken on Friday.
#MedievalMonday
A tree with vivid red leaves is at the end of a broad path, with Wells Cathedral behind. Its square tower is prominent. The tree is flanked by hedges and trees in different shades of green and the sky is blue. A rainbow crosses a dark grey sky. Underneath are some historic buildings in pale-coloured stone lit up by the sun. The building on the left of these is Wells Cathedral. The scene is glimpsed from a road flanked by buildings.
October 27, 2025 at 10:14 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Continuing a look at the Dinnington fragments for #MosaicMonday. This is part of Daphne, identified by her hand turning into leaves. On display in the excellent Museum of Somerset but my photo was taken in 2005 at the time of excavation.
Fragments of Roman mosaic laid out on plastic sheeting. The largest fragment is in the centre and upper right of this photo. It shows a face seen frontally, framed by neat coils of hair. Above the curls is a red band (?) with two leaves sticking up. At upper left of this fragment is a leaf with part of another. The two fragments to the left respectively show part of the lower arm of a figure placed vertically and two leaves.
October 27, 2025 at 11:11 AM
wittspat.bsky.social
The sun is shining (though not sure for how long ...) and it's #PhallusThursday 😀, so here's an exceptional example in the wonderful Chesters Museum on Hadrian's Wall - a favourite collection for many of us. 1/2
A stone fragment on a shelf, showing an incised phallus pointing to upper left with two shapes in front of its tip: one is roughly lozenge-shaped and the other a circle. The fragment is mounted on a plinth with red lettering: 'Incised carving of phallus' 'Chesters' 'CSIR 407' 'B8 CH 292'
October 23, 2025 at 9:35 AM
wittspat.bsky.social
Mercury, one of the reliefs at Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott's house near Melrose, said to come from Old Penrith. CSIR l.4 Scotland lists this under 'Aliena' since Old Penrith is not in Scotland, rather than 'Falsa', but is that face a bit suspect? And what a large purse! #ReliefWednesday
A relief of a naked male figure with a large bag in or below his right hand and a caduceus in his left hand.
October 22, 2025 at 3:36 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Scenery softer down south, but this was yesterday.
October 21, 2025 at 8:10 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
I'm not a regular contributor to #EpigraphyTuesday, but this caught my eye. According to RIB, it's a door jamb rather than an altar (decoration only on the right side). The dedication includes Mars Thincsus and the two Alaisiagae, who appear to be fierce Germanic goddesses. 1/3
In the foreground are three grey Roman altars with inscriptions on the front which are not easy to read; there is a full transcript and translation in the RIB entry in the link. The central altar is the subject of this post. Behind these altars are three shelves of Roman altars and decorated stones. On the top shelf, immediately above the central altar, is an arch with a male figure in the centre (Mars) with a goose to his right (our left) flanked by two naked figures who are crossing their legs.
October 21, 2025 at 11:21 AM
wittspat.bsky.social
For #MedievalMonday, part of the extraordinary chantry chapel to Prior Leschman (1480-1491) in Hexham Abbey. Note the bagpiper lower left!
Part of a medieval monument carved in stone with figures in two rows. In the upper row, St George and the Dragon is on the left and the Virgin with the crucified Christ is at the centre of this photograph. In the lower row, from left to right: a lion, a bagpiper, fox and geese, a harpist, and a figure with three heads plus one between his knees.
October 20, 2025 at 2:27 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
A fragment from the intriguing villa at Dinnington. Usually regarded as cupid with a wing but there's something odd about that face! Why is the hair shown frontally but the face apparently not? Thoughts welcome. 1/2
#MosaicMonday
#AncientBlueSky 🏺
A small fragment of Roman mosaic. The upper part shows plain white tessellation but the lower part has the face of a figure with a triangular feature to the left, usually interpreted as a wing. The neat rows of hair around the figure's head suggest that the head is shown frontally, but the face seems to be looking to his left [our right]. The edge of the face is missing and only one eye survives.
October 20, 2025 at 9:57 AM
wittspat.bsky.social
For #SundaySheep, these are not just any sheep in a field, but they're studying the environs of Corbridge Roman Town. This one neglected her studies to pose obligingly. Church tower in Corbridge just visible in background.
A green field dotted with sheep. The one in the centre stands sideways facing left, turning her head towards us. There are trees in the distance and a church tower just left of centre but hard to make out. The sky is blue with some white clouds.
October 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Mentioned by Roger Wilson in 'A Guide to the Roman Remains in Britain', without which it would be very easy to miss. 2/2
The edge of a stone-lined drain running left to right. The central stone in the picture shows a phallus etched into the side, pointing to the left.
October 16, 2025 at 12:14 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Spot the phallus! A cheeky little reused example lurking in a drain near the tribunal in the principia at Vindolanda. Wonder how many visitors walk over this without noticing? Second part of post is a close-up view. 1/2
#PhallusThursday
In the foreground, a stone-lined drain runs from bottom right to centre left. Behind are the low walls of an archaeological site. There are trees and blue sky in the distance.
October 16, 2025 at 12:14 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
For #HillfortsWednesday, a serendipitous view of North Berwick Law: stopped for petrol on a recent trip and saw this on the way out of the garage! (Did a tour of the supermarket car park and stopped specially - of course. 😉)
October 15, 2025 at 6:19 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Mars, one of the reliefs at Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott's house near Melrose, said to come from Old Penrith. CSIR l.4 Scotland lists this under 'Aliena' since Old Penrith is not in Scotland, rather than 'Falsa', but that spear looks odd! #ReliefWednesday
A relief sculpture of a standing male figure, shown frontally. He is naked, with a shield in his hidden left hand, holding a long object in his right hand; the object is much thicker than a spear would be. There is a hint of a helmet, and he wears a belt/sash over his right shoulder and across his torso.
October 15, 2025 at 4:38 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Ah, thank you, that might explain it. This is my photo of the east gate looking out. Is Alan standing on the left, in its modified north tower, with the photographer standing in the gateway itself, looking north? That would seem to fit, in which case mystery solved!
October 13, 2025 at 10:46 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Prompted by the glimpse @moleymole.bsky.social recently gave us of his well-stocked bookshelves, I'm sharing this display seen recently in the excellent bookshop at Vindolanda. Made my day to see my first book looking so happy! 1/2
#MosaicMonday
Archaeology books arranged on a flat surface with two shelves above. Several are about mosaics or show a mosaic on the cover. At right on the lower shelf is 'Mosaics in Roman Britain. Stories in Stone', my first book.
October 13, 2025 at 6:43 PM
wittspat.bsky.social
Following last week's #MosaicMonday post, this is another modern mosaic I enjoyed on a recent trip. It repays close looking and should raise a smile! By the late Maggy Howarth, with design input from local schoolchildren, decorating the small Millennium Garden at Ravenglass in Cumbria.
A modern mosaic made of cobbles. It is circular and shows an anchor in the centre with its shank placed vertically and its arms curving out at the bottom, like a nose and smiling mouth. To the left is a ship and to the right a castle, both on the horizon; they serve as the eyes. Behind the shank of the anchor is a small setting sun. The background cobbles radiate from this to form the sky, the lines distinct from the zig-zag shapes of the sea. The border is of wave pattern and there is an outer border of two rows of rectangular stones. The mosaic is black and white throughout except for the ship's sails, which include red. To the rear is a bright blue bench placed amid foliage.
October 13, 2025 at 6:24 PM