North Wall

Thomas Staub

N wall: width 3.45 m, max. preserved height 4.00 m. The lower part of the wall is thickened for 0.08 m (north-western end) until 0.15 m (north-eastern end), up to 2.00 m height. This part is largely covered by plaster in several layers. The lowest one is a nearly pure lime coating with a smooth surface, on top of which several layers of under plaster and, in parts preserved, fine plaster are applied. In the central part, ceramic shards are pressed into one layer of the under plaster. As far as visible, the reinforcement is made of lava-incertum (one piece of cruma and one of brick visible), set into yellowish plaster. The stone-pieces are between 0.05 x 0.05 m and 0.15 x 0.10 m large. At the north-west corner, a 0.70 m wide zone between 0.80 m and 2.00 m height is constructed of mixed materials, pieces of tiles, lava, Sarno stone and cruma, also in a yellowish mortar.
In 0.80 m height, two holes can be observed, 0.40 m and 0.84 m to the west of the north-east corner, 0.05 x 0.04 m large. In the western part, two larger holes (ca. 0.08 x 0.08 m) are found at 1.60 m height, 0.25 m and 1.15 m from the north-east corner. The reinforcement of the wall is, at the north-west corner, partly covered by modern concrete, but seems to be built in connection with the west wall, whereas it abuts against the northern doorframe to room h at the east wall.
The upper part of the wall is made of a mixed opus incertum, containing lava, cruma, Sarno stone, bricks and spolias of pavements, set into, and partly covered by, yellowish mortar. The fine plaster, covering the lower protruding part, continues up to 2.20 m, where it ends in a horizontal line, above which only the under plaster continues, at least for 0.10 m. At the north-west corner there seems to be a 0.30 m wide vertical stripe from 2.20 m height that recesses for ca. 0.01 m. At the north-east corner, the wall is reconstructed in modern times above 2.30 m height. At the north-west corner, it seems as if the north wall is linked with the west wall.