Wall decoration (extant)

Thomas Staub

No remains of decorations from the final phase of the room are preserved. At the bottom of the east wall, two small areas show remains of an earlier decoration, probably belonging to the one, which continues behind the north wall (see description of room a, decorations). At both places, a smooth fine plaster is painted yellow, on the piece at the north east corner, a thin horizontal line is scratched into the plaster at 0.14 m height. The later layers of plaster show no traces of either colour or scratch lines on their surfaces. The walls are up to 1.55 m height, covered with a reddish plaster, containing ceramic split, protruding for about 0.005 m compared with the plaster on the walls above. This is a course of greyish plaster with no remains of fine plaster.
On the south wall, a large number of small holes (diam. max. 0.005 m) can be observed near the joint between the two sorts of plaster. They are set in a horizontal line, partly forming a bow downwards. In the north east corner, even these later layers of plaster are continuing behind the north wall. Probably the walls of this room were never decorated, may be because it might have served as a part of the service quarters of the house.