Herculaneum III.3. Casa dello Scheletro or House of the Skeleton.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Plan
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking west from small corridor through second doorway of triclinium in north-west corner of atrium.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking towards south wall of triclinium in north-west corner of atrium, with doorway to atrium.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking east towards nymphaeum, from small corridor.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking towards north wall of small corridor, with nymphaeum, on right.
III 03 Herculaneum, June 2005. Detail of north wall. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
III 03 Herculaneum, June 2005. Looking towards north wall and north-east corner. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
III 03 Herculaneum, June 2005. Detail of north wall at east end. Photo courtesy of Nicolas Monteix.
III.3 Herculaneum. September 2019.
Looking towards east
wall with nymphaeum, and mosaic covered frieze above. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
III.3 Herculaneum. August 2013.
Looking towards east wall with nymphaeum, and mosaic covered frieze above. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
According to Pagano & Prisciandaro, part of this house was tunnelled through in 1740-41.
On 9th May 1739, an entry in the journal read “In the grotto that we have begun to excavate near Vicolo di Mare”. Presumably these items were found when tunnelling from this location.
On 17th November 1740, it was reported that a mosaic niche (nymphaeum) had been found (NAP inv. no. 10008).
On 9th December 1740, nymphaeum, it was reported that “a mosaic showing a figure of a man had been cut (detached) with other decorations”. (NAP inv. no. 9989).
On 10th December 1740, nymphaeum, “another mosaic picture, companion to the previous and of several figures” (NAP inv. no. 10009).
On 12th December 1740, nymphaeum, “another mosaic picture, companion to the previous”. (NAP inv. no. 10011).
On 3rd January 1741, nymphaeum, “a niche of the fountain was carried out of the grotto/cave. (NAP inv. no. 10008).
a marble table, broken in four pieces, on one side were two masks, for the foot it had a marble fluted column with a base, (Rami inediti, fig. 116).
half of a marble medal/coin that showed two figures in relief.
On 9th January 1741, we continue to work in the niche where we found the mosaic niche….and on one wall a painted inscription was found, which read –
Campan(us)
Secundus
Euplus
axbucidsfriocaphoxnemi CIL IV 10478.
On 24th January 1741, “in the same grotto/cave where we
found the objects described over the preceding days, we found – two marble
circular medallions (oscilla), that showed in relief on one side, a boy riding
a dolphin, and on the other, a dragon. (Rami inediti, fig. 117-118).
See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi, (p.186-7) and Part 2 (Rami inediti, fig. 116, 117, 118)
III.3 Herculaneum. March 2014. Looking east to
nymphaeum.
Foto Annette Haug, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking east to nymphaeum.
III,3 Herculaneum, April 2018. Nymphaeum against east wall.
Photo
courtesy of Ian Lycett-King.
Use is subject to Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.
III.3 Herculaneum. March 2008. Nymphaeum against east wall. Photo courtesy of Sera Baker.
III.3 Herculaneum. September 2004. Nymphaeum against east wall.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, the blue-ground mosaic decoration of this niche has now been removed to Naples Archaeological Museum.
Above the niche, a frieze of seven mosaic panels ran across the rear wall. Six of these mosaic panels survived, three in situ, and three in Naples Museum.
See Guidobaldi, M.P, and Esposito, D. (2013). Herculaneum – Art of a Buried City. U.S.A, N.Y, Abbeville Press, (p.287).
III.3 Herculaneum, May 2001. Looking towards nymphaeum
against east wall. Photo courtesy
of Current Archaeology.
III.3 Herculaneum, Original nymphaeum from against east wall.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 10008.
III.3 Herculaneum. 1964. Looking east, without a nymphaeum. 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.
J64f1409
III.3 Herculaneum. 1964. Without the central mosaics and alcove. 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.
J64f1189
III.3 Herculaneum. April 2014. Looking towards east wall with frieze above the nymphaeum.
The central three mosaics are reproductions. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
III.3 Herculaneum, October 2012. Left hand side, north end, of frieze above nymphaeum. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Left hand side, north end, of frieze above nymphaeum.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Frieze at north end.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, this shows a shepherd leading a lamb to be sacrificed.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Second from the north end.
III.3 Herculaneum. April 2014. Detail
from mosaic, second from the north end. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
III,3 Herculaneum, April 2018. Reproductions of the central
three, all now in Naples Archaeological Museum.
Photo courtesy of Ian Lycett-King. Use is subject to Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License v.4 International.
III.3 Herculaneum, October 2012.
Modern reproductions of the central three, all now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
III.3 Herculaneum. April 2014.
Most northerly of the three central modern reproduction mosaics of the frieze. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, this shows one of a pair of tritons resting on a hanging garland.
Original now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 10011.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Most northerly of the three central reproduction mosaics of the frieze.
Original now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 10011.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Original of most northerly of the three central mosaics of the frieze.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, this shows one of a pair of tritons resting on a hanging garland.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 10011.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, this shows a reclining Dionysus with his panther which was flanked by the pair of tritons.
Original now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9989.
III.3 Herculaneum, October 2012. Central of the three reproduction modern mosaics of the frieze. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Original now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9989.
III.3 Herculaneum, Original of central of the three mosaics of the frieze.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, this shows a reclining Dionysus with his panther which was flanked by the pair of tritons.
Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9989.
III.3 Herculaneum, April 2014.
Most southerly of the three central modern reproduction mosaics of the frieze. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, this shows one of a pair of tritons resting on a hanging garland.
Original now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 10009.
III.3 Herculaneum, October 2012. Most southerly of the three central reproduction mosaics of the frieze. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Original now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 10009.
III.3 Herculaneum. Original most southerly of the three central mosaics of the frieze.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, this shows one of a pair of tritons resting on a hanging garland.
Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 10009.
III.3 Herculaneum. April 2014. Frieze at south end, on right hand side.
According to Guidobaldi and Esposito, this shows a supplicant with a fawn. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
On the left, but missing, would have been another mosaic, presumably similar to the second one from the northern end.
III.3 Herculaneum, October 2012. Frieze at south end, on right hand side. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Frieze at south end, on right hand side.
III.3 Herculaneum. August 2013. Nymphaeum against east wall. Photo courtesy of Buzz Ferebee.
The original mosaic niche is now in the Naples Archaeological Museum, inv. no. 10008.
III.3 Herculaneum. August 2021. East wall with nymphaeum. Photo courtesy of Robert Hanson.
III.3 Herculaneum. June 2011. Nymphaeum against east wall. Photo courtesy of Sera Baker.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Detail of painted vault of nymphaeum.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Detail of north side of nymphaeum.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Detail of nymphaeum.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Detail of south side of nymphaeum.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking north.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking east.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Looking south.
III.3 Herculaneum. May 2010. Doorway in south wall of small corridor, leading to atrium.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Plan