Cistern

A. Karivieri & R. Forsell

Cistern in the northeast corner

The cistern is located in the northeast corner of the taberna. Its inner diameter is 0.85 m. The rim of the cistern, that is visible in its western part, was built of tiles and small stones set in mortar. The rim was 12 cm wide and coated with plaster. The plaster coating continued diagonally ca 10 cm upwards at the northern wall.

Three water conduits were leading towards the cistern, two from the atrium V 1,26b and one from the fauces V 1,26a.

he cistern was filled in in antiquity and covered by the last flooring. It was filled with earth including lots of course ware pottery, bones, plaster, charcoal and small stones. The cistern was not emptied during our investigation of the taberna.


Cistern in the southwest corner

The cistern is located in the southwest corner of the taberna by the terracotta pipe in the south wall and it is connected to the basin in the east. It is built of limestone, lava stones and bricks.

The rim on the north side consists of a larger limestone block with four stones on top of it. The rim on the west side is made of lava stones, with tiles and limestone below them. The south side, against the south wall, is built in both lava and limestone with pieces of roof-tiles on top. There is a lower circular opening ca 0.40 m below the roof-tiles on the southern side.

Attached to the northwest part of the cistern, the lower part of a horizontally placed terracotta pipe is visible. The pipe slopes slightly towards the door opening and continues under the threshold.