VIII.7.24 Pompeii. Casa dello Scultore. Linked to VIII.7.22 and VIII.7.23.

Excavated 1773, 1796 and 1867.

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VIII.7.22 and VIII.7.23 would have been underneath the peristyle and dwelling of VIII.7.24.

It is very difficult to identify from the plan of the area and the photos exactly which area belongs to which.

The majority of the photos of VIII.7.22-24, including the underground areas, are included in VIII.7.24.

Underground rooms taken from the Lower level VIII.7.24

Rough Layout for Underground Rooms Pompeii VIII.7.24

Field notes from September 2010 campaign, provided by Drew Baker, King’s College London.

Orientation of plan

Top – to the south, towards Odeon VIII.7.17

Left – to the east, towards via Stabiana

Bottom – to the north, towards Temple of Aesculapius VIII.7.25

Right – to the west, towards Temple of Isis VIII.7.28

Description of Rooms

A

A covered passage from the rear of VIII.7.22/23, inclining upwards to C, at 1 there is terracotta down pipe which looks consistent with the one in the area above.

At 2 on the west wall opposite the entrance to B there is a wide arc feature with the remains of tanking plaster.

Gareth Beale, University of Southampton, notes that this looks like the area was cut through B to access C directly from the rear of the building.

The opposite wall east has a different build quality to it and there is no sign of tanking

B

A tanked room with curved ceiling partially filled with debris. An opening on the south side appears to be a well head servicing the area above it.

The opening is crude and no steps are visible down into the tank. The tanking on the west wall has been patched (see A)

C

The end of passage A, levelled off and open to the sky (visible from the area above).

There is a feature at 1 which may be the remains of stairs leading up to the upper part of the house VIII.7.24 but this is working on the assumption from Eschebach and Boyce as noted by Jackie and Bob Dunn.

If they are stairs, then they are narrow and in a poor state of repair, with a few remaining pieces of plasterwork suggesting treads and risers.

D

A whitewashed room with curved ceiling free of any significant debris.

This room is accessed by a small flight of stairs from C entering on the west wall.

The corners of the wall are curved suggesting that this room was also tanked.

There are two features which look intentional, at 1 a small niche in the north wall, and at 2 an opening in the ceiling vault.

E

A long curved ceiling room free of significant debris.

The room can be accessed from C to the east wall of the room.

There are no stairs visible (but the remains of such may be concealed under a small scree fall by the entrance.

The walls appear to have been tanked at some point but this has been removed at a uniform level around shoulder height.

On the south wall there is a narrow and low opening leading to F.

At 1, there is an opening in the wall/ceiling now blocked (by a basalt block) presumably to a well head servicing the area above.

At 2, there is a terracotta pipe angled out of the ceiling, this appears to be associated with the impluvium of the upper atrium of the house when paced out on the upper level.

F

A long room with curved ceiling with significant debris fill.

The small area accessible around the door on the north wall leading to E and the east wall are the only reasonably clear area of the room.

The western part of the room being totally filled.

Along the south wall there are two openings to the upper level which correspond to the well heads in the area of the garden northern portico of VIII.7.26, above.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010.

Looking west to doorway to lower rooms from VIII.7.22/23, access is to the right.

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010. South wall of entrance "room" at rear of VIII.7.23/22, in corridor A.

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. June 2009. South wall of entrance room in corridor A.

Photo courtesy of Sera Baker.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010. West wall of entrance “room”, looking west in corridor A.

Detail showing down-pipe that appears to correspond to that on the upper level.

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. June 2009. West wall of entrance room. Photo courtesy of Sera Baker.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010. In VIII.7.23 looking west towards Temple of Isis.

(HP notes an arch in the wall - this would correspond well to the arch of the room D).

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010.

From upper level of VIII.7.24, looking down to lower level at the rear of VIII.7.23/22 showing access doorway to the underground areas.

Looking east into corridor A.  Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010.

Looking north along corridor A, linking rear of VIII.7.23/22 to the underground rooms.

Light is from the "collapsed" area see Upper levels.

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010.

Looking east from the doorway into room B, the first underground vaulted room, east off of corridor. Partially filled with debris.

(GB identifies this as a water storage area as the render is similar to the water tanking process he has observed at Portus).

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010. West wall of corridor A, opposite room B the first vaulted room on the east side. Looking south.

(GB notes that this has a curve responding to that of room B, the vaulted room on the east side.

It looks like the water tank has been cut through to provide the access corridor to the northern rooms and room B has been retanked on its west wall.)

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010. Detail of the west wall of the corridor A, opposite to room B.

Detail showing curve of wall and tanking rendering. Looking south.

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. June 2009. West wall of the corridor A. Photo courtesy of Sera Baker.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010.

Looking south along corridor A, towards access from the rear of VIII.7.23/22.

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010.

Steps leading down into room D, the second underground vaulted room from corridor A, looking east.

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. June 2009. Looking east into room D. Photo courtesy of Sera Baker.

VIII.7.22/23/24 Pompeii. October 2010. Looking east into room D from its entrance.

Photo and information courtesy of Drew Baker/Gareth Beale/Hembo Pagi.

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