Threshold

Mats Holmlund

The border between room 1 and the street is made up of a lavastone threshold. The design of the threshold is of the ordinary type associated with shops. It is, all in all, 3.36 m long and between 0.34 and 0.44 m wide, but consists of four separate blocks. The first, southernmost block is 1.26 m long and between 0.36 and 0.44 m wide. The second is 1.00 m long and between 0.35 and 0.36 m wide. The third is 0.82 m long and between 0.36 and 0.40 m wide, and the last, northernmost block is 0.28 m long and between 0.34 and 0.40 m wide.
The third block has shattered at several places and the parts have been glued to the block.

As is common for shop thresholds, there is a groove in the middle of the threshold. It is between 0.04 and 0.06 m wide and 0.02 to 0.04 m deep. The groove was supposedly used to fix the folding door or shutters associated with the shops.

There is a pivoting hole in the first (southernmost) lava stone block. It is located 0.02 m from the south end and 0.12 m from the west side of the first stone. It is circa 0.14 m long, 0.08 m wide and 0.02 m deep. The hole was, in all probability, used for a smaller door that enabled the owner to pass in and out of the taberna when the folding door was closed.
There is another hole located circa 0.80 m from the south end and 0.26 m from the west side. It is 0.04 m in diameter and 0.03 to 0.04 m deep. This hole was presumably used for a locking device associated with the smaller door.

The last feature of the threshold is located by the groove at the middle of the second lavastone of the threshold. It is 0.09 m long, 0.07 m wide and is of the same depth as the groove. The purpose of the hole is unknown, but it probably was used in combination with some sort of pole to stabilize the folding door.