Pompeii - Regio VII - Insula 2 - pars occidentalis

The Department of Classical and Provincial Roman Archaeology at the University of Innsbruck (Austria) has initiated the project "Pompeii - Regio VII - Insula 2 - pars occidentalis" with the intention of conducting a complete archaeological investigation of this central portion of Pompeii at the crossing of Via degli Augustali and Vico Storto. The area of focus comprises the Casa di N. Popidius Priscus (VII, 2, 20.40), a bakery (VII, 2, 22), the Casa dell`Amore punito (VII, 2, 23), the Casa delle Quadrighe (VII, 2, 25), the Casa di Mercurio (VII, 2, 35), a small, unnamed residential building (VII, 2, 38) and several public shops (VII, 2, 24, 27-29, 32, 33, 37, 39). Although these buildings have appeared several times in publications, they have as yet not been examined conclusively and in detail. The time period of the intended investigation extends from 2003 through 2006. The subvention proposal covers: access to and incorporation of archival materials; an exact description, survey and analysis of the preserved architectonic and decorative elements, with special attention given to the state of their preservation; and further, the creation of geophysical prospections and archaeological sections and the investigation of recovered material. Of central interest to the Project is the compilation of a structural history of the individual buildings. This necessitates, in addition to the completion of a detailed building and site survey, also the completion of archaeological sections in order to establish the chronological history of structural renovations and additions. The Project proposes - for the very first time in this zone of Pompeii - the investigation of earlier structures recorded through geophysical and archaeological sections. Important results are expected concerning the urban situation and material culture of Republican Pompeii, a time period we know little about comparative to the Imperial period. The Insula 2 - Regio VII - pars occidentalis of Pompeii also suggests the possibility and hope of finding in the archaic levels the remains of the sixth-century B. C. surrounding walls of the "Old Town", thus gaining a better understanding of the wall site and clear results as to its dating. Special attention will be given to the decorative program of the individual buildings. The Project attempts to provide an important, innovative contribution to the knowledge of ancient Pompeii through the application of interdisciplinary research methods, and thus joins in on a series of international research projects which, on the initiative of the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei, focus on the preservation and scientific investigation of the singular cultural heritage that is Pompeii.

The project Pompeji, regio VII, insula 2 pars occidentalis explored the west part of the insula 2, wich is very near to the Forum of the city. The aims were questions of the construction history and dating. The excavations were realised in The pistrinum VII, 2, 22; In the house of the Amore punito VII, 2, 23 In the house of the quadrighe VII, 2. 25 In the Thermopolium VII, 2, 32-33 In the house of Mercurio VII, 2, 35 In the house VII, 2, 38 In the taberna VII, 2, 40 In the house of Numerius Popidius Priscus VII, 2, 20 The results are: In this region there was no building before the 4th century B.C. It is possible that the great remains under the west part of the House of Mercurio are part of the town wall of Pompeji, wich surrounded the heart of the city (the so called "Altstadt"). The domestic architecture on virginal soil dates to the 2th < century B.C. The buildings constructed in the republican time remained till the eruption of the Vesuvio . After the earth quake in the year 62 A.C. they were restored and modernised and sometimes they were enriched by a first floor. It is very interesting that the spaces for economic and business life were rebuilt very fast while living rooms remained unrestored The pistrinum VII, 2, 22 dates to the second part of the 1th century A.C. and was used only for a short time.