North Wall
Description
Thomas Staub
N wall: width: 3.25 m, max. preserved height: 5.00 m, dimensions of door towards ala 9: width: 0.80 m, with a 0.05 m wide frame on the western side, height: 2.00 m. On this wall, only faint traces of plaster are preserved, one area in the north western corner at a height of 2.80 m, 0.25 x 0.15 m large, probably belongs to a First Style decoration as it continues with visible remains of decorations from this style on the western wall. Another area in the north-eastern part, in 3.30 m height, 0.70 x 1.50 m large with under plaster, shows remains of a stuccoed low arch and below it a frieze. The western doorframe towards ala9 consists, at the base, of one Sarno stone block, height: 1.05 m, with marks after the cutting, above this mixed materials, covered by grey-yellowish mortar with large pieces of chalk (up to 0.008 m). This frame is partly covered by plaster containing sherds from ceramics and tiles. The eastern frame consists up to a height of 1.60 m of two layers. The northern one, towards ala9, is built with mixed opus incertum, containing lava and spolias of plaster and tiles, set into a yellowish mortar, containing fragments of lava. The southern layer consists of Sarno stone pieces (max. 0.20 x 0.15 m) with a greyish mortar, containing lapilli, which makes it plausible that it is a modern repair. The same is true for the zone above this two-portioned part of the frame, which is built of tiles using the same kind of mortar. The same mortar also covers the area from the east of the door to 2.30 m from the north western corner, which consists of mainly Sarno stone blocks with some pieces of red cruma (max. 0.35 x 0.15 m). Above this (between a height of 1.40 - 1.60 m up to 2.60 m), the opus incertum with lava is preserved, as well as on the eastern part of the wall, here above 3.50 m height with red cruma. The upper western part of the wall, again, is a modern reinforcement (cf. ala9, south wall, with opus incertum). In the lower, easternmost part, a 0.95 x 1.70 m large breach, probably made by tunnelers shortly after the eruption and visible in the south wall of ala9 as well, has been filled up in modern times.
