West Wall

Thomas Staub

Plaster covers the southern part of the wall up to 1.1 m height. At 0.6 m from the south-west corner, a 0.55 m wide and 1.95 m high part has been repaired in modern times, maybe to fill up a hole after robbery diggings. To the north of this part, the wall is again covered with plaster, here up to 1.8 m height. Where the masonry in this zone is visible (under 2.8 m (southern part) resp. 2.5 m (northern part)), it consists of lava-incertum, stabilized by a few laying blocks (max. 0.65 x 0.3 m) of Sarno stone, all set into reddish mortar. In the upper zone of the wall, the incertum consists of red cruma in the same mortar. There is an irregular hole at S-W corner of the wall (0.4 x 0.45 m), maybe after some fallen-out stones. Standers and stretchers form the corner to atrium4. Plaster covers the lower part, so that no measurements are possible. In 1.6 m height, a stretcher is visible, going up to 1.9 m, 1.2 m wide. Above this block a stander, 0.3 m wide, 1.3 m high. There above, once more a stretcher, 1.3 m wide, 0.55 m high. In this block, the upper northern corner has been cut off in 0.3 m width and 0.08 m of height, to allow the following block (0.3 x 0.62 m) to be inserted. Finally, the last block is 0.6 x 0.55 m large. In ca. 2 m height, a 0.1 x 0.15 m large rectangular hole is cut into the quoin.
At floor level near the corner to atrium4, remains of bipedales in terracotta, placed in front of the wall, are visible.