The Roman World
After the Roman conquest, Iberia turned into Hispania. Since the second century BC., the South Eastern Iberian societies underwent a lot of social, economic and political changes, known as the process of Romanization of the territory, with special emphasis on those places with hot springs like Alhama. Cities such as Carthago Nova, with a great urban growth, favoured the arrival of new residents and the reoccupation of the territory. The domus in urban areas and villae in rural spaces are the new housing models which the rich owners filled with ornamental decorations. Examples are the urban excavations of the domus in the atrium of San Lazaro Church or the rural villae of Venta Aledo, in Las Cañadas.
At the entrance of the Museum is exhibited the mosaic of the domus. The mosaic is dated at the beginning of the 2nd century AD while the Roman urban house is from the end of the 1st century AD. The mosaic was found in the excavation of the atrium of San Lazaro Church. Among the remains can be found an example of the ornamental plan with a mural design.
The mosaic is decorated with black and white tiles (tesseras), showing a repeated motive like a half moon called "pelta", the four peltas are placed simulating a small turning mill.
In the same domus, next to the mosaic, mural paintings were recovered with a richly coloured pattern of geometrical and vegetable motives in imitation marble, which gives an idea of the degree of sophistication and economic power enjoyed by some owners in this area.
