Floor

A. Karivieri & R. Forsell

DESCRIPTION

Pavement covering room o.

The pavement is made in opus tessellatum and an opus sectile central panel.

In the centre of the floor, there is an opus sectile panel, consisting of quadrangular and smaller triangular marble slabs, six squares E-W, ten squares N-S. The design consists of horizontally placed rectangles alternating with smaller squares set on edge surrounded by four triangular slabs. Material for the slabs is giallo antico, pavonazzetto. The opus sectile panel is surrounded by a black-white opus tessellatum border of spiralling vine with small leaves and kantharoi in the corners opening towards the opus sectile.  Main part of the pavement, between the central opus sectile panel with its the black-white opus tessellatum border and a black-white opus tessellatum border nearest to the wall, consists of diagonally placed undulating white tesserae. The border nearest to the walls is dominated by a guilloche motif.

The opus tessellatum border nearest to opus sectile consists of:
1. Four horizontal rows of tesserae. Two inner ones have alternating black and white tesserae and the two outer ones have only black tesserae, 4 cm wide.
2. Border with vine, 23 cm wide.
3. Two rows of black tesserae.
4. Three rows of white tesserae.
5. Two rows of black tesserae.
6. Three rows of white tesserae. 3 - 6; 9 cm wide. 1 - 6; 37 cm wide.
7. Diagonally placed undulating white tesserae until the border nearest to the walls and the threshold.

Width of the opus tessellatum mosaic surrounding the opus sectile panel:
A.    N part in front of N wall: 79 cm plus border; preserved 39 cm (until the wall 46 cm).

B. W part: 1.18 m width to the border 47 cm, border to the wall, badly preserved.
Border:
1. 4 cm four white horizontal.
2. 2 cm two black. 3 cm three black.
3. 3 cm three white.
4. 15 cm of black then guilloche design, white two strands, black frames, one row of black. 5.Three rows of white 3 cm.
6. Two rows of black 2 cm.
7. Then broad white area with ca 17 cm = 17 rows of white tesserae.
8. Finally seven - eight rows of tesserae against the wall, width ca 8 cm.

C. E part: 1.20 m width to the border plus 44.5 cm border to the wall.
1. Three horizontal rows.
2. Two black.
3. Three white.
4. One black plus guilloche, two strand plus one black.
5. Three white.
6. Two black.
7. Broad white area, 16 rows of white.
8. Finally eight rows of black tesserae.

D. S part: 1.91 m width to the border, 39 cm border to the black border attached to the threshold which is 44 cm broad to the marble slabs of the threshold border:
1. Three white horizontal.
2. Two black.
3. Three white.
4. One black plus 20 strand guilloche plus one black.
5. Three white.
6. Two black.
7. Sixteen - seventeen rows of white tesserae horizontal
rows.

State of preservation
Some of the slabs are missing and replaced by concrete. Most of the slabs are broken.
Traces of burning on the surface of tesserae.

MEASUREMENTS

Opus sectile
The size of the opus sectile panel: E-W 1.78 m, N-S 3.09 m. The size of each entity in opus sectile panel, either the larger rectangle or the square set on edge surrounded by triangles, is 30 x 30 cm. The size of the small squares is 21 x 21 cm, and the triangles 21 x 15 x 15 cm.
The opus sectile panel has an opus tessellatum border of spiralling vine (height of spirals 17-18 cm) with small leaves and kantharoi (height of kantharos 23 cm). Length of leaves in the vine border: 7-8 cm.

Opus tessellatum
A. N part in front of N wall: 79 cm plus border; preserved 39 cm (until the wall 46 cm).
B. W part: 1.18 m width to the border 47 cm, border to the wall, badly preserved.
C. E part: 1.20 m width to the border plus 44.5 cm border to the wall.
D. S part: 1.91 m width to the border, 39 cm border to the black border attached to the threshold which is 44 cm broad to the marble slabs of the threshold border