Impluvium

A. Karivieri & R. Forsell

The impluvium has been heavily restored with concrete in 1995. In the basin floor the original surface, which consists of tuff blocks, can still be seen especially in the western part. The tuff blocks in the western part have cut marks on the surface indicating a planned redecoration. The blocks visible in the eastern part of the basin have no such marks. The tuff blocks in the basin floor have been placed in a north-south direction. The westernmost is 0.37 m wide the next 2nd row is 0.66m wide in the north, 0.69m in the south, while the third row is 0.73m wide. The fourth is destroyed. In the easternmost part where the floor has been covered by concrete no blocks are visible and the surface is lower than the top level of the uncut tuff blocks. The east an central part of the basin floor that has been filled with concrete is at a lower level than the tuff blocks. This suggests that the blocks in these parts are either missing or badly damaged.

The only visible drain is placed in the centre of the west wall towards the fauces and the street. The drain is placed 0.84m north of the southwest corner. Two marble slabs, located in the northwest and southwest corners of the surrounding mosaic border indicate the existence of a cistern, under the impluvium. It has been suggested that the slab in the northwest corner was originally the location of a drain opening. (Dexter,14)

The impluvium basin is now framed by concrete, from the edge of the basin all the way to the black and white mosaic border surrounding the impluvium. Dexter, however, described it a terracotta brick lined imluvium. (Dexter, 14) In some old photographs a structure with tiles is visible presumably indicating the existence of a revetment with marble slabs, where there was a raised list against the mosaic border. However Mau suggests that the impluvium had a stucco covering of which we have seen no traces. As no older photos of the impluvium have been preserved a more exact description of its original appearance cannot be given.