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The ‘World’s Most Difficult Jigsaw Puzzle’ Is an 1,800-Year-Old Fresco. A Scientist Just Solved It.

created: July 25, 2025, 12:30 p.m. | updated: July 26, 2025, 11:04 p.m.

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:A team discovered the largest collection of Roman painted plaster in London history—shattered into thousands of pieces. It took months of reconstructing the plaster “jigsaw puzzle” to finally see images of birds, fruit, and lyres. More than 1,800 years later, a team from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) working on excavation ahead of a Landsec development project discovered the ancient remains in Southwark, London. Among the debris was what is now considered the largest collection of painted Roman plaster ever discovered in London. Experts say that some of the markings may have even been guides, like a sketch for the fresco painters to follow.

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