This large floor tile from Brading Roman Villa, Isle of Wight, is of a type called a sesquipedalis commonly used on floors supported by tile columns with underfloor heating. The surface shown here has been decoratively scored with a 13 point comb, applied to help the tile key onto the mortar. In this case the tile maker has also left a hand print in the centre as a kind of signature. The clay used to make these tiles is often fine enough to preserve the fingerprints of the individual.
This floor tile is displayed at Brading Roman Villa alongside another tile preserving human footprints, studded sandal prints, and the paw prints of a dog.
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