Herculaneum Ins. Orientalis
I.1a. Casa di M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus.
Excavated 1934-35.
Guidobaldi wrote that this house was originally connected to the House of the Gem internally, and also, at one time, to the House of the Telephus Relief. This house was in fact formed from the lower floor of the southern part of the House of the Gem.
In the Republican period, rooms A to E were transformed into finely decorated residential rooms, room A was a triclinium, room B was a cubiculum, room C was an exedra, room D was another cubiculum, and room E was an oecus, all opening onto a windowed corridor now scarcely appreciable, but bearing witness by the vaulted roof, and the elegant mosaic floors dating to the late II Style.
In the last years of the city, the proprietor divided the entire property horizontally and vertically into the three separate dwellings.
This house was in fact formed from the lower floor of the southern part of the House of the Gem by eliminating the stairs, and by opening a separate entrance doorway towards Porta Marina. Rooms A and B were transformed into service rooms, the kitchen containing sink and small recesses for keeping the household pottery, and moisture resistant supplies were set up instead in room G, whilst room H functioned as a more private cubiculum, and in this rear room as a repository and work-room for a weaver, whose records were graffitied on the north wall of the vestibule. Also found in this room was a wooden carbonized box, completely crushed and containing cups and nearly whole glass perfume bottles, together with the bronze seal of M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus. In exedra C, the remains of seven skeletons were found, included amongst them was a baby lying on a mattress made of plant material, in a wooden rocking cradle.
See Guidobaldi, M.P, 2009: Ercolano, guida agli scavi. Naples, Electa Napoli, (p.41).
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023.
Looking
north from access roadway across the roof of the Suburban Baths towards the
lower terrace with rooms opening onto it.
The upper rooms are now part of Ins. Orientalis I.1. On the right is a room belonging to Ins. Orientalis I.2, House of Telephus Relief. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, June 2011.
Looking north from access roadway. Photo
courtesy of Sera Baker.
The roof of the Suburban Baths can be seen, lower centre.
Above the roof is the terrace with rooms opening onto it, which now form the House of M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus.
The upper rooms above the terrace are now part of the House of the Gem.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, October 2014. Looking north-east from access road.
At the top of the photo on the left is the House of the Stags or Deer.
In the centre of the upper photo are the upper rooms forming the House of the Gem, beneath this is a terrace with rooms opening onto it.
These now form the House of M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus.
In the upper right are the tower rooms of the House of the Telephus Relief.
Beneath these are the Suburban Baths. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, April 2013. Looking north-west from access road.
On the right, level with the roof of the Suburban Baths, are the lower floor rooms which would have opened south onto a vaulted corridor.
The upper floor rooms now belong to the south end of the House of the Gem. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Cardo V Inferiore, Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking south through tunnel/slope.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, September 2015.
Entrance doorway on east side of ramp at end of Cardo V.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023.
Looking east along entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking east along entrance corridor.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, August 2013. Looking west from access roadway.
In the centre of the photo is the entrance corridor leading to the lower rooms, below the House of the Gem, on right of photo.
Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023.
Looking east at rear of roof of Suburban Baths, along line of vaulted corridor, with collapsed loggia above. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, September 2015. Looking east along roof of Suburban baths.
On the left of it are the lower floor rooms opening onto a vaulted corridor, that used to be connected to the House of the Gem, until the stairs were taken away, and it became a separate dwelling.
It is known as the House of M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus due to a bronze seal being found in a carbonised wooden box.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. Bronze signet ring of M. PILI PRIMI G GRANIANI found in a carbonised wooden box.
Photo courtesy of Vroma project.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023.
Looking north from access roadway towards lower floor rooms opening south onto a vaulted corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, June 2019.
Looking north from access roadway towards lower floor rooms opening
south onto a vaulted corridor.
The upper floor rooms belong to the south end of the House of the
Gem. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
Ins.
Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, 7th
August 1976.
Looking north from access roadway
towards lower floor rooms opening south onto a vaulted corridor.
The upper floor rooms belong to the
south end of the House of the Gem.
Photo
courtesy of Rick Bauer, from Dr George Fay’s slides collection.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023.
Looking north towards doorways leading from rooms onto vaulted corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023.
Looking towards room A, with doorway at west end of vaulted corridor, and window onto entrance fauces.
Taken from access roadway. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Photo taken from access roadway, showing the remains of the vaulted roof of the corridor, with window from room A.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023. Taken from access roadway.
West end of vaulted corridor, with window from room A, and doorway leading into a cubiculum B. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023. Taken from access roadway.
West end of vaulted corridor, with doorway leading into a cubiculum B, with window. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023. Taken from access roadway. Doorway into room C, an exedra. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023.
Taken from access roadway. Looking north to doorway to Exedra C. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.7
According to Guidobaldi –
“In exedra C, the remains of seven skeletons were found, included amongst them was a baby lying on a mattress made of plant material, in a wooden rocking cradle.”
See Guidobaldi, M.P, 2009: Ercolano, guida agli scavi. Naples, Electa Napoli, (p.41).
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum, 1975. Cradle or crib. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
J75f0699
According to “Guida”- a cradle in carbonized wood was found in the House of M. Pilius Primigenius Granianus.
See Guidobaldi, M.P (2009). Ercolano, guida aglia Scavi. Electa, Napoli, (p.8).
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023. Taken from access roadway.
Looking north to doorway to room D, cubiculum. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023. Taken from access roadway.
Looking north to doorway to room E, oecus. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023. Taken from access roadway.
Looking north to doorway to room F, corridor leading to room G, services, kitchen/latrine, etc.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Ins. Orientalis I.1a, Herculaneum. October 2023. Taken from access roadway.
Looking north to doorway to room H, across vestibule. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.