1,800 years ago, a Roman household decorated floor with cat and dog; archaeologists uncover mosaic

A panel of the mosaic depicts a dog named Ocean. Around 1,800 years ago, a Roman household in what is now Turkey decorated the floor of its home with a detailed mosaic showing animals and mythological figures. Among them were a cat and a dog whose names were written beside their images. Archaeologists have now uncovered the mosaic at the ancient city of Adramytteion on Turkey’s Aegean coast.The colourful floor was part of a Roman villa dating to the late second to third centuries AD, according to Live Science report. The residence had three halls arranged around a central atrium, along with several smaller rooms and a network of pipes and drains that may have been connected to a latrine. One of the halls appears to have been used as the main reception area of the villa.It was here that archaeologists found the large mosaic. The floor decoration measures about 16.4 by 11.8 feet (5 by 3.6 metres) and is divided into 15 separate panels arranged in three rows. Most of the panels show animals, including birds, fish and felines. Two others feature mythological figures- a gorgon, possibly Medusa, and a winged horse, possibly Pegasus.The mosaic was made using tiles in several colours, incl...