Niche
Description
Mats Holmlund
The niche is located in the opus testaceum part of the top northwest corner of the north wall, approximately 0.10 m from the west corner and 2.10 m from the floor level. The niche is circa 0.30 m wide and 0.30 m high, and 0.13 m deep.
The niche was originally covered with red plaster and a band of green leafy garlands encircled the background. As of today, only a small part of the garland is visible along the bottom of the inner wall. On the east sidewall, the subsurface of the plaster is fixed by modern pinkish mortar. The modern mortar also fixes the plaster of the ceiling. In the lower west corner of the niche the plaster is missing in a 0.10 by 0.25 m large area and the core of the testaceum wall is visible behind it. Although most of the plaster in the niche is extant, it is worn to the point that no decoration besides traces of the garland at the bottom of the background is discernable.
The function of the niche is uncertain. Boyce classifies it as a lararium, but since so little of the decoration still exists, it is diffcult to either validate or refute his proposition. However, the location and size of the niche seems to exclude other possible (or probable) functions, such as a lamp niche or a niche for domestic purposes.
