South Wall

Description

Mats Holmlund

For the most part the wall is constructed in opus incertum-style, except around the doorway leading into room 2, where the style changes to a sort of "opus quadratum". By the west doorpost there is also a small area constructed in opus listatum-style. The incertum-part consists mainly of limestone with some pieces of cruma and lava, while the "quadratum"-part consists of limestone blocks, and the listatum-part of two rows of tiles alternated with pieces of tufa.

In the east corner from 2.10 to 3.10 m from the floor, there are remains of ash, pumice and lapilli.
The doorway is circa 0.50 m wide and 1.95 m high. The doorposts have been reinforced by modern cement, but there is still a big "dent" in the eastern doorpost circa 1.30 to 1.50 m from the threshold. There is also a (modern) wooden lintel above the door and it’s circa 1.00 m wide and 0.08 m high.
There are some spolia in the wall. In the "dent" in the doorpost, there are some pieces of tile visible and the same is true for the opposite doorpost circa 1.00 m from the threshold. In the western doorpost circa 1.50 m from the ground, there is a piece of stone (between the limestone blocks) with plaster attached to it.

The mortar of the wall is grey yellowish and contains grains of lava, limestone, and some odd grains of cruma. In the east corner to circa 0.50 m from the corner, and from about 1.30 m from the floor up until 2.00 m from the ground, much darker grey, and probably modern mortar, has been applied to the wall. Around the doorway and on the western part of the wall (the "quadratum" and listatum parts), there is modern mortar applied to the wall. 1.30 m from the east corner, 1.90 m from the floor level up until the wall ends, modern mortar has been applied to the wall.

The lower part of the wall, from the east corner to the doorway, is still to a large extent covered by plaster (only the subsurface of the plaster remains). This area stretches from circa 0.10 to 0.30 m from the floor level up to between 1.30 and 1.60 m from the ground. Along the upper edge from circa 0.50 m to the doorpost, the plaster is fixed to the wall by modern pinkish grey mortar. In the eastern corner the plaster is about to fall down, but it’s also the only place where some traces of decoration remains. There are faint traces of red painting, right in the corner from 0.90 to 1.10 m from the floor and then again circa 1.50 m from the floor. In all other areas the subsurface of the plaster is all that remains.

Page Manager:  | 2023-02-15