Short answers, pulled from the story.
The transition began in Hellenistic-Greek Sicily during the 3rd century BC. Workers there developed complex tessellated mosaics at locations such as Morgantina and Syracuse before this style spread.
Artisans added cut brick, tile, and pottery to create shades of blue, black, red, white, and yellow. They also used marble, glass, small pebbles, and precious metals like gold occasionally alongside standard materials.
The Alexander Mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii depicts the Battle of Issus around 100 BC. This work stands as a prime example of narrative canvases that replaced abstract designs by the First Style period.
Athletes likely walked through these mazes before bathing to prepare for competition while remaining acutely aware of their feet moving along the floor. These designs served as bearers of good luck and possessed apotropaic powers against evil spirits according to scholar Rebecca Molholt.
Workers discovered the well-preserved Roman mosaic floor dating to the 3rd century AD in May 2020. This find ended about a century of searching the site of a long-lost villa after decades of effort to locate the structure.