Building the social : A query into the social impact of the Pompeian water supply
Leander Touati, Anne-Marie LU
(2024)
In Opuscula: Annual of the Swedish Institutes At Athens and Rome
2024(17).
p.167-214
- Abstract
- This study explores the importance of the means of ensuring water
supply in the formation of the architectural profile and basic social
organization of Pompeii. It sees the city’s domestic water supply, for
over two centuries ensured through rainwater-harvesting areas, ba-
sins and cisterns situated mainly in and below the many atria, as a sta-
bilizing factor of both cityscape and household. Through the intro-
duction of the city aqueduct in the 1st century AD and the creation
of a generous network of public fountains this situation changes and
the need to maintain the traditional organization of the “houseful“,
comprising enlarged family, slaves and dependents of various kind
including shopkeepers,... (More) - This study explores the importance of the means of ensuring water
supply in the formation of the architectural profile and basic social
organization of Pompeii. It sees the city’s domestic water supply, for
over two centuries ensured through rainwater-harvesting areas, ba-
sins and cisterns situated mainly in and below the many atria, as a sta-
bilizing factor of both cityscape and household. Through the intro-
duction of the city aqueduct in the 1st century AD and the creation
of a generous network of public fountains this situation changes and
the need to maintain the traditional organization of the “houseful“,
comprising enlarged family, slaves and dependents of various kind
including shopkeepers, is lessened; the physical proximity between
those of different status renegotiated. This development, witnessed
in adaptations of the architecture, can be followed through close
study of the standing structures in Insula V 1. The hallmarks are the
creation of upperfloor living quarters seemingly independent from
the life of the large households of the atrium houses, and in parallel
the introduction of private water lines from the city aqueduct. The
remodelling that resulted in the creation of the double-atrium house
of Caecilius Iucundus is focal to the discussion since it offers a coeval chronological fix point in the AD 40s for both remodelling and
obtention of piped water. Given that the change in the domestic ar-
chitecture observed was merely in its embryonic state in AD 79, the
tenability to attribute a lower dating than that traditionnaly attrib-
uted not just to the private lines, but to the city’s distribution system
of public aqueduct water as well, is reasoned. The particularities of
Pompeii’s geomorphological situation and political status and how
they impacted the discussed change in social relationships are also
raised. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- This study explores the importance of the means of ensuring water
supply in the formation of the architectural profile and basic social
organization of Pompeii. It sees the city’s domestic water supply, for
over two centuries ensured through rainwater-harvesting areas, basins
and cisterns situated mainly in and below the many atria, as a stabilizing
factor of both cityscape and household. Through the introduction
of the city aqueduct in the 1st century AD and the creation
of a generous network of public fountains this situation changes and
the need to maintain the traditional organization of the “houseful“,
comprising enlarged family, slaves and dependents of various kind
including shopkeepers, is... (More) - This study explores the importance of the means of ensuring water
supply in the formation of the architectural profile and basic social
organization of Pompeii. It sees the city’s domestic water supply, for
over two centuries ensured through rainwater-harvesting areas, basins
and cisterns situated mainly in and below the many atria, as a stabilizing
factor of both cityscape and household. Through the introduction
of the city aqueduct in the 1st century AD and the creation
of a generous network of public fountains this situation changes and
the need to maintain the traditional organization of the “houseful“,
comprising enlarged family, slaves and dependents of various kind
including shopkeepers, is lessened; the physical proximity between
those of different status renegotiated. This development, witnessed
in adaptations of the architecture, can be followed through close
study of the standing structures in Insula V 1. The hallmarks are the
creation of upperfloor living quarters seemingly independent from
the life of the large households of the atrium houses, and in parallel
the introduction of private water lines from the city aqueduct. The
remodelling that resulted in the creation of the double-atrium house
of Caecilius Iucundus is focal to the discussion since it offers a co-
eval chronological fix point in the AD 40s for both remodelling and
obtention of piped water. Given that the change in the domestic architecture
observed was merely in its embryonic state in AD 79, the
tenability to attribute a lower dating than that traditionnaly attributed
not just to the private lines, but to the city’s distribution system
of public aqueduct water as well, is reasoned. The particularities of
Pompeii’s geomorphological situation and political status and how
they impacted the discussed change in social relationships are also
raised.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/60d8ee11-4de1-48ee-bb3b-b00f9752699e
- author
- Leander Touati, Anne-Marie
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-11
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- actor-network-theory, Insula V 1, Pompeii, water supply
- in
- Opuscula: Annual of the Swedish Institutes At Athens and Rome
- volume
- 2024
- issue
- 17
- pages
- 48 pages
- publisher
- Editorial Committee of the Swedish Institutes at Athens
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85214555541
- ISSN
- 2000-0898
- DOI
- 10.30549/opathrom-17-09
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 60d8ee11-4de1-48ee-bb3b-b00f9752699e
- date added to LUP
- 2024-11-29 11:05:42
- date last changed
- 2025-06-02 22:54:18
@article{60d8ee11-4de1-48ee-bb3b-b00f9752699e,
abstract = {{This study explores the importance of the means of ensuring water<br/>supply in the formation of the architectural profile and basic social<br/>organization of Pompeii. It sees the city’s domestic water supply, for<br/>over two centuries ensured through rainwater-harvesting areas, ba-<br/>sins and cisterns situated mainly in and below the many atria, as a sta-<br/>bilizing factor of both cityscape and household. Through the intro-<br/>duction of the city aqueduct in the 1st century AD and the creation<br/>of a generous network of public fountains this situation changes and<br/>the need to maintain the traditional organization of the “houseful“,<br/>comprising enlarged family, slaves and dependents of various kind<br/>including shopkeepers, is lessened; the physical proximity between<br/>those of different status renegotiated. This development, witnessed<br/>in adaptations of the architecture, can be followed through close<br/>study of the standing structures in Insula V 1. The hallmarks are the<br/>creation of upperfloor living quarters seemingly independent from<br/>the life of the large households of the atrium houses, and in parallel<br/>the introduction of private water lines from the city aqueduct. The<br/>remodelling that resulted in the creation of the double-atrium house<br/>of Caecilius Iucundus is focal to the discussion since it offers a coeval chronological fix point in the AD 40s for both remodelling and<br/>obtention of piped water. Given that the change in the domestic ar-<br/>chitecture observed was merely in its embryonic state in AD 79, the<br/>tenability to attribute a lower dating than that traditionnaly attrib-<br/>uted not just to the private lines, but to the city’s distribution system<br/>of public aqueduct water as well, is reasoned. The particularities of<br/>Pompeii’s geomorphological situation and political status and how<br/>they impacted the discussed change in social relationships are also<br/>raised.}},
author = {{Leander Touati, Anne-Marie}},
issn = {{2000-0898}},
keywords = {{actor-network-theory; Insula V 1; Pompeii; water supply}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{17}},
pages = {{167--214}},
publisher = {{Editorial Committee of the Swedish Institutes at Athens}},
series = {{Opuscula: Annual of the Swedish Institutes At Athens and Rome}},
title = {{Building the social : A query into the social impact of the Pompeian water supply}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.30549/opathrom-17-09}},
doi = {{10.30549/opathrom-17-09}},
volume = {{2024}},
year = {{2024}},
}