The Brantingham Tyche Mosaic The so-called 'Tyche Mosaic' was
discovered in 1961at the site of a large villa near Brantingham,
about 3km northwest of Brough in East Yorkshire. It measures 11
x 7.8m and dates to the middle of the 4th century, about 330-335
AD. The mosaic features a distinctive figure at the centre
wearing a crown and surrounded by a nimbus or halo. Some experts
believe this figure is a 'Tyche' (pronounced tie-key), a
personification of a province or tribe, and this has given the
mosaic its name. Tyche or Muse? There are actually two theories
about who the figure is. Supporters of the 'Tyche'
identification see the crown in the form of a city wall with
towers - a feature seen in other representations of the deity.
Some have speculated that it could be the Tyche of the Parisi,
the local tribe of the area. A Tyche is usually seen with a
cornucopia, or horn of plenty, but unfortunately this clinching
piece of evidence would be on the left shoulder - the very part
of the centre piece that has been