Pompeii, blue-walled shrine resurfaces during excavations in Regio IX

Yet more new discoveries in Pompeii Archaeological Park: during excavations in Regio IX, a new room in the central area of the ancient city emerged, painted blue and interpretable as a sacrarium, or a space dedicated to ritual activities and the storage of sacred objects. The environment was previewed on Rai1 in the May 27 special Wonders, hosted by Alberto Angela. Now an in-depth feature on this environment has been published in the Pompeii Excavations e-Journal https://pompeiisites.org/e-journal-degli-scavi-di-pompei/.

Against a blue background, the walls show female figures flanking the niches in the center, and depicting, in the side ones the four seasons, the Horae, while in those on the central wall allegories ofagriculture and pastoralism, as indicated by the attributes of the plow and pedum, a short stick used by shepherds and hunters.

The light blue color found here was rarely witnessed in Pompeian frescoes and was generally found in highly decorative settings.

Already partially explored in Bourbon times, the excavation has returned objects belonging tothe furnishings of the house, temporarily deposited during the building work extended to the entire complex. Fifteen transport amphorae and a bronze set consisting of two jugs and two oil lamps were found in the room. Also present were accumulations of building materials, ready to be used in the renovations. A pile of already worn oyster shells was found on the threshold of the entrance, which were probably added to plaster and mortar mixes once they had been ground up.

The room, which measures about 8 square meters, emerged among the structures located in the southern portion of the block, pertaining to a secondary quarter of a large domus, which has so far returned a bath quarter that is still being excavated and a large black frescoed hall overlooking a courtyard, with a staircase for access to the second floor of the complex.

The excavation activity that is affecting insula 10 of Regio IX is part of a larger project to secure the perimeter front between the excavated and unexcavated area and to improve thehydrogeological arrangement, aimed at making the protection of the vast Pompeian heritage (more than 13 thousand rooms in 1070 housing units, in addition to public and sacred spaces) more effective and sustainable.

Pompeii, blue-walled shrine resurfaces during excavations in Regio IX

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.