Water conduits (constructed)

Renée Forsell

Three sets of drains were discovered during the cleaning of the floor, in the NE, in the W, and in the S part of the atrium floor. The W drain led from the outlet of the impluvium W wall, continuing under the threshold and below the floor of room 6 towards a cistern in taberna 32. A packing of stone slabs and tiles had covered the drain. There was also a lot of pure lime among the debris. The roof of the drain had collapsed W of the impluvium. It seems it had been built of tiles covered with waterproof plaster.

The NE drain was leading excess water from room d in the NE towards the E rim of the impluvium, continuing under the rim and leading to the cleaning hole and the cistern in the S frame of the impluvium. As the drain was covered with stone slabs and assumed intact it was left without further investigation.

The S drain was discovered when a broken roof tile when the floor was cleaned around the impluvium. The broken tile revealed a square drain beneath a stone packing. It was made out of tiles and with a coating of waterproof plaster. The drain seemed intact and was left untouched. It seemed the overflow water from the NE drain, passed the cleaning hole of the impluvium and continued out though a round terracotta pipe into the square drain towards S. A stone packing, revealed along the E wall of the fauces, indicated the continuation of the drain leading towards a cistern located in the SW corner of tabernaV1,2. There was no outflow into the street.