I.3.8 Pompeii. Two houses both entered via a common angiportus.

I.3.8a Pompeii. Unnamed house. Excavated 1868.

I.3.8b Pompeii. House of Vulcanus. Excavated 1869.

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I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking south into oecus in south-east corner of peristyle. Fiorelli described this as an oecus. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010. East wall and south-east corner.

Note vertical slot features corresponding to west wall of previous room, and couch recess. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010. West wall. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010. Detail of recess in east wall. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking north across east portico of peristyle, from oecus in south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking south to features near west garden wall of east portico. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. December 2006. Looking south across east portico of peristyle.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010. Looking west showing detail of terracotta puteal. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010. Looking into void below the terracotta puteal. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking towards north-west corner of peristyle, from south-east corner. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

According to Trendelenburg -

“I must mention the hearth of the peristyle that one finds near to a column of the east side, the vault of which was surmounted by a decoration, that I do not know, and until now is new in Pompeii.

It is worth saying it was of a small bearded head with a pileus or falet cap.

It was crudely formed in terracotta and seemed to be made of the same bricks that made the hearth.

Originally, above the head was a phallus (see GdS, 3 Sett.1869) that is missing today, and also missing is the glass paste, that made the eyes distinct.

The decoration is reputedly the head of Vulcan that elsewhere we see attributed to Vesta, as the tutelary god of the hearth”.

See Trendelenburg in Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 1871, (p.171-2).

See Warscher, T. Codex Topographicus Pompeianus, IX.1. (1943), Swedish Institute, Rome. (no.12d and information/description).

I.3.8b Pompeii. 1935 photograph taken by Tatiana Warscher, looking across the peristyle, taken from the east.

See Warscher, T, 1935: Codex Topographicus Pompejanus, Regio I, 3: (no.16a), Rome, DAIR, whose copyright it remains. 

According to Warscher,

“This house was not without interest. The tufa Doric columns of the peristyle had been joined – later – by a wall between them.

The west side of the portico consisted of brick columns surmounted by arches.

Above these arches was a walkway. The north wall ended in a vault.”

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010. Looking towards features near west garden wall of east portico. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

According to Jashemski, on the east portico near the garden wall was a terracotta puteal and hearth.

The hearth was covered with a small vault, decorated with a rough, bearded head, said to be Vulcan.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.26).

According to Warscher,

“Non è rimasto niente della testa di Vulcano menzionata dal Mau (Bull. Inst. 1871, p. 171).

Ma questo testa non è sola testa di terracotta che è stata trovata sul forno di Pompei: prima di quella hanno scavato il forno nel pistrino IX.1.3/30, nel quale è incastrata una testa – del Vulcano o forse dello spirito del fuoco – anche di terracotta, ma di quest’ultima io non ho trovato nessuna menzione. (vedi, il mio Codex Topographicus di Pompei IX, 1).

Anche in questo caso sotto la testa di terracotta si trova un fallo”.

See Warscher, T, 1935: Codex Topographicus Pompejanus, Regio I, 3: Rome, DAIR. 

(translation: “Nothing remained of the head of Vulcan mentioned by Mau (Bull. Inst. 1871, p.171)

But this head was not the only terracotta head that had been found on a Pompeii oven: before this they had excavated the oven in the bakery in IX.1.3/30, in which was embedded a head – of Vulcan or maybe of the spirit of the fire, – also in terracotta, but of this last I have found no mention. (see my Codex Topographicus of Pompeii IX, 1).

Also in that case, a phallus was found under the terracotta head.”)

I.3.8b Pompeii. December 2006. Looking north-west across peristyle towards remains of hearth and terracotta puteal.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010. Looking west to detail of hearth(?) feature. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. September 2010.

Looking west to detail of hearth(?) feature. Photo courtesy of Drew Baker.

I.3.8b Pompeii. December 2006. Looking west across peristyle towards remains of hearth.

I.3.8b Pompeii. 1935 photograph taken by Tatiana Warscher.

Looking west towards the front of the oven, resting on the east portico.

The terracotta pipe to lead the smoke to the exterior was embedded in the wall of the oven.

See Warscher, T, 1935: Codex Topographicus Pompejanus, Regio I, 3: (no.24), Rome, DAIR, whose copyright it remains. 

I.3.8b Pompeii. 1935 photograph taken by Tatiana Warscher.

Looking east towards the rear of the oven, resting on the east portico.

The terracotta pipe to lead the smoke to the exterior was embedded in the wall of the oven.

See Warscher, T, 1935: Codex Topographicus Pompejanus, Regio I, 3: (no.25), Rome, DAIR, whose copyright it remains. 

I.3.8b Pompeii. 1935 photograph taken by Tatiana Warscher.

Taken from the centre of the peristyle, looking east towards the east portico, and the rear of the oven.

See Warscher, T, 1935: Codex Topographicus Pompejanus, Regio I, 3: (no.23), Rome, DAIR, whose copyright it remains. 

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