Staircase
Description
Thomas Staub
The stairs leading from room h into room i: the uppermost step is the lava-block of the threshold; see below, 0.17 m high. The second one, 0.31 m deep, is built of pieces of mainly Sarno stone (max. 0.15 x 0.20 m), as well as of reused pieces of lavapesta floor, bricks and ceramic, mostly covered with modern concrete. This step is placed in line with the north wall. At app. 0.25 m from the eastern doorframe, an iron spot is visible. The third and last step is only a few cm lower than the second is. It consists of one travertine block, 0.99 x 0.37 m large, and 0.30 - 0.32 m high, which seems to be a reused corner piece of an architrave since it shows concave profiles at its western and northern sides. The hollow room under the western profile was filled up with plaster fragments.
The steps are leading from the first level to the area covered with a lime-cement floor: these steps are also partly covered by a lime-cement, and where not, they are made of mixed rubble. They are between 0.15 and 0.20 m deep and 0.08 - 0.15 m high. The lime-cement covered area is situated at 0.38 m below the level of the upper landing.
