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

Casa media Houses of medium size have one to three dining areas on the ground floor,
nearly twice as many on average as small houses. 114 They average 21.9 m 2 each, twenty-two
percent larger on average than dining areas in smaller houses. There is thus a significant increase
in both the size and number of dining spaces. More are securely identified; one-quarter contain
couch niches or the remains of couches themselves. 115 A minority are identified as only
'possible' dining areas, the opposite of the case in smaller building types. The larger the houses,
the more confidence with which the functions of dining areas can be identified, because more and
better information tends to be preserved (and published). 116
The vast majority are dining rooms; only two houses of this size do not contain at least
one. 117 In two houses, the dining rooms are of remarkably similar dimensions, perhaps because
one set of dining furniture was moved from room to room depending on the occasion. 118
However, houses that contain more than one dining area tend to have more than one type,
emphasizing variety. 119 Three houses have a set of one dining room, one dinette and one dining
hall: each could contain different numbers of guests, and are arranged to take advantage of
varying conditions of light and exposure to the elements. 120 In sum, larger houses have: more
options for choosing a dining environment, an increased capacity for guests, and increased
specialization in the function of rooms such that dining areas become easier to identify by means
of the physical evidence.
114I.6.13-14, I.8.1-3, I.9.3-4, I.9.12 and I.10.10-11 each have only one dining area on the ground floor. Six
other houses have two dining areas, and seven houses have three dining areas.
115I.6.4 (c) contained ten couch feet; I.8.4-6 (3, 13) have couch niches; I.8.8-9 (10) has two couch niches and
an emblema in the pavement, and garden (11) contains a set of masonry couches; I.8.17+11 (14) has a couch
niche, I.9.13-14 (d) has a couch niche and bronze pieces of couches, room (j) has two couch niches and an
emblema in the floor and room (m) contains a 'T + U' mosaic marking out the position of the couches as well
as numerous serving vessels. I.10.7 (9) has a couch niche, remains of a couch and floor decoration that
marks the position of a set of couches.
116For the casa media category, ten dining areas were securely identified, twenty-one had a 'probable'
designation, and eight were considered 'possible' dining areas. From the probable category, I.6.4 (p) has
bipartite wall and floor decoration marking service and eating areas; I.6.13-14 (4) has an emblema and
possibly a couch niche; I.6.15 (d, e) each have a pavement emblema, as does I.7.7 (b); I.9.1-2 (8) has bipartite
wall decoration that separates serving and eating areas with engaged plaster pilasters, as does I.9.5-7 (11) --
rooms (11, 13, 17) in that house each have an emblema. Pieces of couches and some serving wares were
found in I.10.7 (8), and remains of a bower in garden (12) there strongly suggest the location of a set of
wooden couches underneath.
117I.7.19 (dining hall (b) and dinette (e)) and I.10.10-11 (dining halls 9, 20) do not contain a dining room. Of
the total dining areas for the casa media category, twenty-four are dining rooms, eight are dining halls, five
are dinettes and two are outdoor dining areas.
118I.6.11 (11, 15) have identical widths (4.37 m.), and I.8.4-6 (3, 7) are very similar in size (4.94 x 3.89 m. and
4.94 x 3.81 m.).
119In five of fourteen houses with more than one dining area, only a single type (usually a dining room) is
present.
120I.6.4, I.9.1-2, I.9.5-7.
143