About mosaics in domus and villae of Roman Crete: a focus on sectilia pavimenta

Thanks to the latest studies about mosaics in Roman Crete and archaeological extended excavations of household buildings, a big amount of data are available to go deep trough some more reflections. At first, it aims for examine in depth the distribution of decorative patterns inside domestic rooms, with specific attention to use of space (as for triclinia, stibadia, cubicula) related to the whole housing context preserved. The more significant cases - known from published works - are from buildings discovered in Kastelli Kissamos, Chanià, Eleutherna, Knossos, Iraklion and Chersonissos; other examples, less complete, had been found in other towns as Argyroupolis, Gortyna, Kouphonisi. Then, the presentation aspires to focus on the use of marbles or stones for floors of domus or villae in Roman Crete, whereas sectilia pavimenta are recurring - as well known - in late antique thermal buildings and early Christian churches. Infact, if tessellated mosaics are well known in Crete since Ist century AD (especially between IInd and IIIrd century), there are less evidences for the use of other kinds of techniques in holding structures (as opus sectile, decorated opus caementicium or shaped bricks). Except paved floors (really common in thermal spaces or for impluvia’s coverings), very few cases of sectilia pavimenta are documented and all are concentrated only in one city, at Kastelli Kissamos. We have there two different typologies: pseudoemblemata and unitary framework. They could be dated in central imperial period, both for technique and ornamental patterns. The decoration of the second one is attested as opus sectile at Villa Adriana in Tivoli and in other examples of tessellated pavements, but there is no other documentation of the use of this decorative motif as unitary framework: therefore, the one from Kastelli Kissamos appears to be an unicum.