KITCHENS AND DINING ROOMS AT POMPEII ... - Get a Free Blog

Commercial eating establishments
Lunch counters Water supply depends heavily upon whether the lunch counter is
attached to a larger house. Of the four independent establishments, none has its own source of
water because each lacks an open area to catch and collect it. Each must have relied exclusively
upon street fountains. Two independent lunch counters have latrines, however, perhaps for the
convenience of the customers. 86 The three lunch counters attached to houses rely upon water
from their atria and gardens. The street served for drainage.
Diners Those attached to houses rely almost exclusively upon their water and drainage
utilities. A single diner (I.8.8) has its own latrine, in the NW corner of room (1) next to the hearth.
Independent diners, which are larger and have their own open areas, generally have their own
cisterns and latrines. 87 Latrines tend to be in a back corner of the building; neither water nor
drainage is associated with the front serving counter or a dining area.
Houses with or without (work)shops
Casa piccola Cisterns underlie all small houses; water is retrieved via cistern heads
located in or just off the atria or garden courts. To the extent that kitchens are usually located in
small rooms close to these open areas, water is readily available for cooking. Not all small houses
have latrines, but in most of those that do (six of nine), the latrine is located either in or next to
the cooking area. 88 The latrines are probably cesspits, as drainage to the street is unlikely; they
sit in small rooms, out of sight at the back of the house.
Casa media Cisterns heads are found in the atria and gardens of all houses of medium
size. 89 The increased roof area allows the collection of extra water. The Casa di Cerere (I.9.13-
14) contains a set of sculpture that once served as a fountain, perhaps in the atrium. 90 Kitchens
86 I.4.27 has a latrine in (a); I.7.8-9 probably has a latrine in (b), and at least has a downpipe in the NW corner
of (a) from a latrine or drain on the upper floor.
87 I.4.11 is the only diner that does not have its own identifiable water source. Garden (d) contains a latrine
in its SE corner, and would seem to be suitable for collecting water, but no cistern or cistern head has been
identified. A public fountain was available just 25 meters to the north at the corner of the insula. I.8.15-16
does not have a latrine, but has a sink and drain next to the stove in (5).
88 An exception is I.10.2-3, where the cooking area is a hearth at the attached lunch counter (2), while the
latrine is located at the back of the house in area (10) near the small garden court where the cistern head is
located.
89 All houses with attached eating establishments possess cisterns, but none have securely identifiable
latrines or accommodations for drainage. The exception may be room (12) in I.9.3-4, which has the
appearance of a latrine (it remains partially unexcavated).
90 Four cupids riding marble dolphins, their mouths serving as water spouts, were found stored in diningroom/tablinum
(j). It is not clear where or when this ensemble was in use (see De Vos 1976 and
Rediscovering Pompeii 1990, 226-227, #188).
138