Herculaneum Ins. Or. II.1. Large corner shop. Excavated 1932.
According to Guidobaldi –
“In this insula, it was possible to identify some of the functions of these workshops - numbers 1a and 8 were bakeries.
No. 9 was a wine-shop with a wooden loft for the amphorae and with a well-preserved wooden stairway to get to the upper mezzanine;
at no. 6 and 13, they sold cereals and vegetables.
Numbers 5, 11, 17-18 were dye-works with furnaces made from dolia perforated at the bottom and embedded above the tiled floor or with a lead boiler within a masonry base.
No. 10 was the shop of a gem-maker.”
Each workshop, in addition to its specific fittings, had one or more cabinets fitted into the walls, and a toilet in the corner just to the right of the door, which ran directly into the large sewer, which runs below the pavement, and was recently re-explored”.
See Pesando F.,
Guidobaldi M., 2006. Pompei, Oplontis,
Ercolano, Stabiae. Roma: Laterza, (p.382 of pages 288-407)
Guidobaldi wrote that this insula was characterised by a series of productive and commercial outlets, originally with mezzanines (pergulae) and an upper floor dwelling (cenacula). The workshops were connected to a mezzanine, comprising one or more dwelling rooms by an internal staircase of wood, while a staircase with two flights was deduced in a suitable staircase room (eg. at number 17) which would have led to the upper floor accommodations by an open gallery that probably ran along the entire façade, although the large amount of destruction of the top floors, certainly damaged already by the earthquake of 17 years previous to the eruption of 79AD and not fully restored, does not allow full appreciation of the look of the high areas of the building.
See Guidobaldi, M.P, 2009: Ercolano, guida agli scavi. Naples, Electa Napoli, (p.48).
Vicolo Meridionale, the small roadway dividing Ins. Orientalis II, on left, from Ins. Orientalis I, on right.
September 2015. Looking east from opposite side of Cardo V, near IV.18.
Ins. Orientalis II.1 Herculaneum, December 2008. Exterior south wall of shop-room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Orientalis II.1 Herculaneum, December 2008. Detail from exterior south wall of shop-room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Looking east. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Ins. Orientalis II.1 Herculaneum, on left. March 2014. Looking north along east side of Cardo V.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
Ins. Or. II.1 – 3, Herculaneum. May 2004.
Looking north-east from Cardo V, across Vicolo Meridionale towards Insula Orientalis. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Orientalis II.1 Herculaneum, July 2015.
Looking towards entrance doorway, on north side of Vicolo Meridionale. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
According to Maiuri, this was a large corner shop, with a back-shop and the stone flag upon which rested the wooden staircase leading to the upper floor.
Foto
Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR
Ins. Orientalis II.1 Herculaneum, September 2015. Drain under pavement on east side of Cardo V Inferiore.
Ins. Orientalis II.1 Herculaneum, December 2008. Looking east to street façade, and shop-room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
According to Maiuri, although this shop did not have a sales podium/counter, it may have been made from wood and destroyed.
It was possible that the items made in the bakery could have been sold from this shop.
Ins. Orientalis II.1 Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking east, from Cardo V Inferiore towards doorway to rear room.
Ins. Orientalis II.1 Herculaneum, September 2015. Drain being worked on!
Ins. Or. II.1 Herculaneum. December 2008. Looking towards south-east corner of shop-room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Or. II.1 Herculaneum. December 2008. Detail from south wall of shop-room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Or. II.1 Herculaneum. December 2008. Threshold of shop-room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
According to Monteix, the larger threshold to the shop-room was made from grey tufa.
The smaller threshold gave access to the steps to the upper floor rooms of Ins.Or.II.1b. and was made from limestone.
Ins. Or. II.1 Herculaneum. December 2008. Upper north-west corner of rear room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Or. II.1 Herculaneum. December 2008. Looking towards north wall of rear room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Or. II.1 Herculaneum. December 2008.
Looking east in small area (latrine) in north-east corner of rear room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Or. II.1 Herculaneum. December 2008.
South-west corner of rear room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
Ins. Or. II.1 Herculaneum. December 2008.
Recess in west wall of rear room. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.