1,700-year-old disc

Archaeologists have found a opaque glass plate in the eastern part of London, made from the Roman Empire.

This disc - about 1,700 years old - was assembled from hundreds of blue glass pieces with petals, white border blending with bright red as background.

The plate belongs to a group of items called millefiori - the term refers to objects created by sharpening many pieces of colored glass or stone of different colors, creating patterns . and putting them together. In fact, this work is a feat of scientists as they meticulously assemble its fragments, digging at Prescot Street, Aldgate, east London.

Glass experts say this is the first time a disc of this type has been found outside the eastern Roman empire, these millefiori products are often made in Egypt and the surrounding area. The plate was in the tomb of a cremated man, the remains of the body and the disc placed in a wooden casket. It will be on display at the London Museum.

A number of other ceramic and glass vase items were also found next to the ashes that made people think that the deceased were quite wealthy.