Herculaneum VI.10. Entrance to service quarters of the Baths.
Excavated 1931-32.
Maiuri wrote that this entrance doorway led to the service quarters that ran along behind the men’s and women’s sections in the form of one wide corridor.
The vestibule wall still bears the incrustation of smoke and soot that was diffused when the praefurnium was lit or stoked. On the left, on entering, there is a straight staircase, partly in wood and partly in masonry which led to the attics and terraces. Further ahead, there is the deep circular well whence the water was raised by means of a chain pump to the reservoirs; nearby there is the little staircase used in the inspection of the boilers and, finally, the furnace (praefurnium) for each of the two boilers which fed the men’s and women’s baths respectively. The boilers were carried away during the Bourbon excavations, but there remains the heavy iron door of the praefurnium used to heat the water for the men’s baths and near to it lies (note: probably “used to lie”) the great iron poker for raking the embers and cinders, a sign that the baths functioned up to the last moments before the eruption. At the end of the great service corridor, a small door opened into the apodyterium of the men’s section, whilst a wooden staircase led to the living quarters on the upper floor, occupied by the personnel of the baths.
See Maiuri, Amedeo, (1977). Herculaneum. 7th English ed, of Guide books to the Museums Galleries and Monuments of Italy, No.53 (p.40).
Deiss wrote that the hydraulic system was severely damaged by the Bourbon tunnellers, and parts of the heating system were carried away entirely - for example the boilers. The water was furnished from a well over forty feet deep. It seems that the water was raised by a kind of bucket system to a water tower, whence it was distributed through lead pipes by gravity to the boilers and the various tanks. Fortunately for our knowledge of Roman technology, the tunnellers missed two of the heavy bronze grooves into which eighteen-inch (0.45m) wheels were fitted on a rotation beam to revolve the buckets. All the hydraulic equipment was of bronze or lead. The men’s furnace, however, had a door of iron; and near it lay the long iron poker just where it was dropped when the attendant jumped and ran.
See Deiss, J.J. (1968). Herculaneum, a city returns to the sun. History Book Club, UK, (p.117)
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014.
Looking towards entrance doorway on west side of Cardo IV. Superiore. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.9 Herculaneum on left, and VI.10 on right. June 2008. Exterior wall on west side of Cardo IV. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.9 Herculaneum on left, and VI.10 on right. June 2008. Exterior upper wall on west side of Cardo IV. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum, June 2008. Exterior facade on west side of Cardo IV, near doorway. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum, June 2008. Exterior upper facade on west side of Cardo IV, near doorway. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2004. Entrance doorway and facade on west side of Cardo IV. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.8 on left, VI.9 on right. September 2003.
Detail of upper facade, and roof area originally attics and terraces. Looking west. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.9 Herculaneum on left, and VI.10 on right. September 2003.
Looking north-west across upper floor area. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2010. Doorway on west side of Cardo IV Superiore.
This was a service doorway for the Baths, leading to praefurnium (boiler-furnace), and to other parts of the water-supply plant.
VI 9 and VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2004.
Looking west to entrance doorway in exterior facade. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2003.
Looking towards exterior facade on south side of entrance doorway. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. August 2021.
Looking west from entrance doorway along corridor at rear of men’s central baths. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.10 Herculaneum. June 2014.
Looking west from entrance doorway along corridor at rear of men’s central baths. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking west from entrance doorway along corridor at rear of men’s central baths.
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014.
Looking east from inside of entrance doorway, towards Cardo IV. Superiore. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014.
Steps to upper floor, partly in masonry and partly in wood, looking south. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.10 Herculaneum. March 2014. Detail of steps to upper floor.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2005. Looking south to top of stairs to upper floor attics and terraces. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2005.
Looking south and west to upper floor attics and terraces at top of stairs. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2005.
Looking west towards area of attics and terraces on upper floor of baths. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2010. Steps to upper floor, looking south from entrance doorway.
VI.10 Herculaneum. Looking west from doorway. May 2010.
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014.
Looking south in room on west side of steps. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking west from entrance doorway.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2004.
Looking west along north wall from entrance. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2004. Looking towards north wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2004. Detail from upper north wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking west along corridor from doorway.
VI.10 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking south-west in corridor towards area of water-tower and steps.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
VI.10 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking west towards area of well, water tower and steps.
According to Deiss, the well was over forty feet deep, and water was raised by a kind of bucket system.
See Deiss, J.J. (1968). Herculaneum, a city returns to the sun. History Book Club, UK, (p.117).
VI.10 Herculaneum. October 2022.
Looking east to base of steps, used for inspection of the boilers. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014.
Looking south to steps, used for inspection of the boilers. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014.
Looking west up the steps, used for inspection of the boilers. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.10 Herculaneum, September 2004. Looking west up the steps
VI.10 Herculaneum, September 2004. Well.
VI.10 Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking west
along rear south wall of services’ corridor of baths.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014.
Looking east along rear south wall of services’ corridor of baths. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.10 Herculaneum, March 2014. Praefurnium in
south wall of baths rear corridor.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.10 Herculaneum, June 2005. Praefurnium in south wall of baths rear corridor. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum, March 2014. Praefurnium in
south wall of baths rear corridor.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.10 Herculaneum, June 2005. Praefurnium in south wall of baths. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum, June 2005. Praefurnium in south wall of baths. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
VI.10 Herculaneum, March 2014. Looking south into
praefurnium in south wall of baths.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.10 Herculaneum, March 2014. Praefurnium
(boiler furnace).
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014. Praefurnium (boiler furnace). Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
VI.10 Herculaneum, March 2014. Praefurnium
(boiler furnace).
Foto Annette Haug, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR
VI.10 Herculaneum. August 2021. Looking east along service
corridor towards entrance on Cardo IV. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.
VI.10 Herculaneum. October 2022.
Looking east along south wall of service corridor towards entrance on Cardo IV.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.10 Herculaneum, October 2014. Doorway at end of service corridor, leading into apodyterium of men’s baths, see VI.1/7.
Looking towards the west end of the service corridor. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
In the centre-right of the photo is the small latrine in service corridor, possibly for the use of the workers.
in Rivista di Studi Pompeiani, XXI, 2010, (p.151).