East Wall

Thomas Staub

E wall: width: 13.03 m.
Section between opening to ala9 (width: 3.73 m) and door to cubiculum8, width: 2.15 m, max. preserved height: 5.4 m (incl. modern reconstruction). At floor level, remains of cut off bipedales are still visible attached against the wall. Plaster with faint traces of colour largely covers this section up to 3.3 m height. To the north, a stuccoed pilaster (width: 0.55 m, protruding for 0.01 m) is framing the opening towards ala9, whereas to the south a vertical line in the plaster indicates the positioning of a 0.2 m wide wooden door frame at the opening towards cubiculum8. Where the fine plaster has fallen off, the preparatoy plaster is visible, partly containing pottery fragments. Plaster covers most of the southern door frame towards ala9, only above 3.6 m height, parts of the quoin erected in Sarno stone blocks are visible. The upper part of one block is visible, its measures unknown, on top of which one block, 0.4 x 0.4 m is positioned. Then follows a 1.1 m wide, 0.6 m high stretcher, then a 0.5 x 0.4 m large block that continues as stretcher into the S wall of ala9, on top of this a 0.2 m high zone of modern masonry. In 3.65 m height, approx. 0.2 m from the corner towards ala9, a round hole is cut into the stone (diam. 0.08 m), filled with red mortar in which a square hole (0.04 x 0.04 m) is visible. Below this there are two smaller holes in the wall, filled with modern concrete (diam. 0.06 m, in 2.7 and 3.35 m height). In 3.75 m height, a horizontal line, 0.08 m deep, 0.05 - 0.07 m high, is cut into the stone, reaching from the N corner to ca. 0.05 m distance from the corner towards cubiculum8, probably a remain from the small protection roof over the later taken away pygmies-frieze (see photography from Fox collection). To the S of the described quoin, a small area of opus incertum of red cruma in reddish mortar is visible, where a rounded hole (in 3.40 m h, 0.20 x 0.15 m large) can be observed. The doorframe towards cubiculum8 is constructed in Sarno stone here as well; the widths of the lower blocks are not measurable because of they are covered with plaster. The heights are as follows: 0.70 m (with a 0.10 x 0.10 m diagonally cut off lower south corner, partly filled with modern concrete), then 0.45 m, then 0.95 m, and then 0.55 m. The following one is 0.25 m wide and 0.95 m high, the final one is a stretcher, 1.00 x 0.50 m, whose upper south corner is cut off (0.20 x 0.15 m) for the placing of the lintel (this off cutting is partly filled up in modern times, then follows the modern lintel). Above the lintel, the wall is reconstructed with a relieving arch of Sarno stone, tuff and red cruma in modern times. In the doorframe, a vertical row of small round holes is visible, diam. 0.05 - 0.07 m, 0.15 m from the corner, in 0.82 m, 1.80 m and 3.70 m h. Height of the door opening 4.05 m, width: 1.30 m (at 1.00 m heigth, the opening is wider at the bottom than at the top).
Section between doors to cubicula8 and 7, width: 2.40 m, max. preserved height: (incl. modern reconstructions) 5.50 m, in parts covered by plaster into which at some areas ceramic sherds are inserted. The northern quoin, i.e. the doorframe to cubiculum8, is again constructed of Sarno stone blocks, of which some are partly covered by plaster, so that the measurements of the widths could not be obtained. The lowest block, 0.40 x 0.45 m, again shows a cutting off at its lower corner above the threshold, diagonally, 0.10 x 0.10 m. The following is 0.35 m high, then follows a 0.60 x 0.45 m large one, then a stander, 0.35 x 1.15 m, then a 0.50 m high block, then a 0.35 x 0.65 m large block, followed by the uppermost block, 1.05 x 0.50 m. On top of this, the modern lintel is placed, over this the modern reconstruction (as above). In 0.30 - 0.35 m distance from the corner, again a vertical row of modern filled up small round holes (diam. 0.05 m) is visible (h: 0.75 m, 1.20 m, 2.10 m, 3.28 m). The area of the wall between the two quoins consists, as far as visible, of opus incertum, up to 2.30 m height with lava stones, above this with red cruma, all set into the normal red mortar. The upper 0.30 - 0.60 m are a modern reconstruction. In 3.20 m height, in approx. the middle of the wall section, a 0.10 x 0.20 m large rectangular hole is set into the wall, as well as on the west wall. As usually, Sarno stone blocks form the southern quoin, the northern doorframe to cubiculum7, again partly covered by plaster. Once more, the vertical line after the wooden frame is visible ca. 0.20 m from the corner. The lowest block is 0.35 x 0.60 m large, with the 0.08 x 0.10 m large diagonal off-cuttings at the corner above the threshold. Then follows a 0.65 m high block, then a stander, 0.35 x 1.05 m, then a stretcher, 1.05 x 0.50 m, then a stander, 0.30 x 0.90 m, whose left part has an intrusion filled up with plaster with ceramic sherds, then follows a stretcher, 1.05 x 0.55 m, whose upper south corner has been cut off (0.25 x 0.10 m) for the placing of the lintel. The lintel itself is a modern reconstruction; above it follows a row of small Sarno stone blocks, then red cruma rubble, and the last 0.20 - 0.40 m in modern reconstruction. Height of the door opening: 4.05 m, width: 1.30 m (at a height of 1.00 m, the opening is wider at the bottom than at the top).
Section between door to cubiculum7 and S-E corner, width: 2.15 m, max. preserved height: 5.30 m. Again, plaster covers parts of this section of the wall (from the south eastern corner up to 0.70 m from the door frame to cubiculum7, up to a max. height of 2.40 m). In front of the wall, remains of later removed tiles, which covered the walls (see description of the walls of ala14) are visible at floor level. The doorframe to cubiculum7 is again constructed of Sarno stone blocks. 0.20 m from the corner towards the room, the vertical line from the wooden doorpost is visible up to 1.10 m height. The lowest block, with its usual cutting off at the lower corner over the threshold (0.10 x 0.10 m), is 0.35 x 0.25 m large, followed by a stretcher (0.85 x 0.50 m), then a stander (0.35 x 0.95 m), then a stretcher (0.95 x 0.50 m), a stander (0.35 x 0.95 m), a stretcher (0.65 x 0.40 m), followed, finally, by a 0.55 x 0.45 m large block with its south upper corner cut away. This block carries the modern lintel, above this as described above. In 0.25 m distance from the corner to the room, again a vertical row of small holes, filled up with modern concrete (diam. 0.05 - 0.06 m, in h: 0.65 m, 1.38 m, 2.05 m and 3.35 m) is visible. The part of the wall between this quoin and the south east corner of atrium4 is built in opus incertum, in the lower part (up to a height of 2.25 - 2.35 m) of lava, into which a 0.25 m high block of Sarno stone is inserted just above floor level, and in the middle of the section, another one (0.30 x 0.20 m large) at 3.25 m height. Above the lava, the mainly used material is again the red cruma, all inserted in the reddish mortar. In the height of 3.55 m, approx. 0.55 m from the corner to cubiculum7, a 0.15 x 0.20 m large hole is set into the wall. In the eastern doorframe of room 6, two Sarno stone blocks, partly with repairs in lava, are visible (width: 0.40 m, heights: 1.05 and 0.75 m). Also at 2.25 m h, a 0.55 m wide and 0.40 m high Sarno block, which bounds into the corner, is visible, partly covered with plaster containing ceramic sherds. Mainly on this last section, but also on the one between the doors to cubicula7 and 8, large amounts of metal dots are visible up to a height of 1.10 m, probable remains from the nails with which originally the bipedales (cf. description of the west and north walls in ala14) were attached to the walls.