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

#10, could be closed off from the rest of the house by a door located at the threshold to atrium (A").
During the summertime, the servile staff may have eaten upstairs in one of the 'cenacula', or
downstairs in DR◊(4); remains of wooden beds/couches were found in each. DR/KI (7), with its
built-in stove, would have been a warm place to eat during the winter months. The summer eruption
may explain the absence of dining couches in this room. Perhaps the household staff as well as the
free family heeded the seasons by eating in different parts of the house. The provision of a specific
room for slave dining would be unique in this sample, but given the plethora of finely-decorated
dining areas elsewhere in the house, it seems reasonable. The situation in fact recalls the communal
dining of slaves under the eye of their bailiff described by Columella. 64
A couch niche (w. 1.45 m.) at the S end of the E wall of DR (10) is the best evidence for dining
there. Maiuri thought the room, due to its elongated dimensions, was a biclinium, containing
only two couches, but three couches (l. 2.31 m.) can be fit securely in the space. The lack of actual
couch remains can again be explained (as with DI/KI (7) above) if this room was used only
during the winter months, as its placement and decoration suggests.
No finds were recorded from DI•(16). DH (17) is absolutely secure in its identification as a
dining area. Besides the mosaic decoration and niches in the W and N walls for very large
couches, actual couch fittings were recovered from the niches. Along the W wall, a large niche (l.
4.36 m.) allowed the placement of the long side of the lectus imus and the short end of the lectus
medius. The niche continued along the N wall, more than long enough for the lectus medius (l. 3.95
m.). After a break of 0.39 m., another niche (w. 1.05 m.) is cut for the short end of the lectus
summus in the NE corner of the room (Fig. 5.88). The dimensions for the niches are the largest in
the sample, and suggest either oversized couches, or ample space between individual couches,
allowing for the passage of servants and food. The physical remains of the couches were
substantial (Maiuri NSc 1927, 79-80) -- one mule-headed furniture appliqué, probably to fit the
curved end of a couch, seven bronze couch feet, eight bronze couch legs with fragments of the
wooden supports within. One iron furniture foot, three bronze corner plates and numerous
small tabs and fittings may belong to these couches or other furniture within the room. Allison
counts only the couch feet (and not the legs with attached feet -- see Maiuri NSc 1927, 80, Fig. 46),
and pronounces that the seven feet cannot support the modern restoration of two couches
requiring a total of twelve feet; she concludes that the room was not being used for dining at the
time of the eruption. However, fifteen total feet were actually found in the room, enough for two
and almost three couches. Maiuri is unequivocal about finding the couches in situ: "I letti
tricliniari poggiavano su sostegni di bronzo leggermente infossati nel pavimento". 65
64 See chapter one, p. 30-31, n. 126.
65 Maiuri NSc 1927, 49.
260