North Wall
Description
Henrik Boman & Monika Nilsson
The north wall of room i is in a very dilapidated state. It takes up the western half (1.02m in width) of the northern boundary of the room whereas the eastern half (0.92m in width) constitutes the door opening.
The wall is built in opus incertum with a clear majority of lava stones. The first course of stones is preserved to the doorframe, but the upper courses are not. Its foundations continue below floor level; the depth, though, is unknown.
It is built against the W wall, i.e. the oven, and continues westward to frame a tiled desk space in front of the oven. It is clear that it does not bound with the oven’s massive bulk; there is one fragment of plaster still in situ between the oven and the N wall, demonstrating the later construction of the oven.
The lava threshold is broken, with the central part completely missing. The side facing the room is cut to a lower level; the threshold was designed for a two-parted door opening inwards. On the higher, exterior part are rectangular holes at each end, probably to support a wooden doorframe. There are still traces of iron in the pivot hole to the east and there is a cutting in the E wall for the lintel at 1.90m above the threshold.
In 2008/09 the wall was reconstructed in the general restoration campaign of Insula V 1. The western doorframe was restored together with the wall to a height of approx. 1.5m. Larger limestone blocks were used to distinguish the older, original wall, from the new restorations.
