Construction work in Cirencester, UK, has accidentally revealed an intact 2nd-century Roman library. The building contains a stunning central mosaic depicting Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, surrounded by specialized chambers designed for the storage of scrolls and the daily work of scribes.
While the organic scrolls have long since perished, the presence of bronze inkwells, bone styluses, and lead scroll-tags confirms the building's function. This is one of the very few confirmed examples of a public library in Roman Britain, highlighting the sophisticated culture of the ancient town of Corinium.