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Pompeii and its Hinterland Connection: The Fuel Consumption of the House of the Vestals (c. Third Century BC to AD 79)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Robyn Veal
Robyn Veal*
Affiliation:
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, UK Department of Archaeology, University of Sydney, Australia
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Abstract

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Bio-archaeological studies can contribute significantly to understanding the economic interactions between cities and their hinterland. In Pompeii, where research has often been intramurally focussed, analysis of biological remains is often confined to bones and macro-botanicals consumed as foodstuffs. Charcoal, if collected, often remains unexamined, and yet this material is key to understanding the fuel economy of a city. This study has two goals: first, to describe an efficient method for charcoal sampling and analysis in a dense urban environment using only dry-sieved charcoals above 5 mm; and, second, in doing so, to demonstrate the dependent relationship between Pompeii and its hinterland for the provision of fuel in a case study from the House of the Vestals. A pilot study of 25 contexts from six ‘rooms’ and 750 charcoal fragments was followed by an extended study of 62 contexts over 14 rooms (a total of 1579 charcoal fragments). The extended results identified only two further (minor) taxa (represented by only three fragments). The most important wood identified was beech (Fagus sylvatica), which constituted 50–75 per cent of the fuel supply, depending on the time period. Beech grows preferentially above about 900 m in central and southern Italy. Pompeii lies at 30 m altitude with the nearest mountain areas at least 15 km away. The study suggests that a methodology that relies on collection of charcoal from routine dry sieving (5 mm grid), in soils where this is possible, can provide robust results in a cost effective manner in an urban setting.

Les études bioarchéologiques peuvent contribuer considérablement à la compréhension des interactions économiques entre les villes et leur arrière-pays. À Pompéi, où la recherche s'est surtout concentrée sur le site intra-muros, l'analyse des restes biologiques est souvent limitée aux denrées alimentaires consommées comme les os et les résidus macrobotaniques. Dans la plupart des cas le charbon, s'il est ramassé, n'est pas examiné, bien que cette matière est la clé pour comprendre comment une ville organise son approvisionnement en et sa consommation de combustible. Cette étude poursuit deux buts: d'abord, décrire une méthode efficace d'échantillonnage et d'analyse de charbon dans un environnement urbain dense en n'utilisant que du charbon de taille supérieure à 5 mm obtenu par tamisage par voie sèche, et ensuite, montrer de cette façon les relations de dépendance entre Pompéi et son arrière-pays pour l'approvisionnement en combustible dans une étude de cas de la Maison des Vestales. Une étude-pilote de 25 contextes provenant de 6 ‘chambres' et de 750 morceaux de charbon fût suivi d'une étude approfondie de 62 contextes de 14 ‘chambres’ (un total de 1579 morceaux de charbon). Les résultats étendus n'identifiaient que 2 autres taxons (insignifiants) (représentés par seulement trois morceaux). Le plus important parmi le bois identifié était le hêtre (Fagus sylvatica), qui représentait entre 50 à 75% de l'alimentation en combustible, selon la période considérée. Les hêtres poussent de préférence au-dessus de 900 m dans le centre et le sud de l'Italie. Pompéi est situé à 30 m d'altitude; les régions montagneuses les plus proches se trouvent à une distance d'au moins 15 km. L'étude suggère qu'une méthodologie qui se fonde sur la collection de charbon provenant de tamisage sec effectué couramment (tamis de 5 mm), dans des sols où ceci est possible, peut apporter des résultats fiables à peu de frais, dans un milieu urbain. Translation by Isabelle Gerges.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Bioarchäologische Studien können wesentlich zum Verständnis des ökonomischen Wechselspiels zwischen Städten und ihrem Hinterland beitragen. In Pompeji, wo der Fokus der Forschung oft auf den intramuralen Bereichen gelegen hat, beschränkt sich die Analyse biologischer Hinterlassenschaften oft auf Knochen und botanische Makroreste als Spuren konsumierter Nahrung. Holzkohle verbleit, wenn sie überhaupt gesammelt wird, oft nicht untersucht, wenngleich dieses Material einen Schlüssel zum Verständnis der Brennmaterialökonomie einer Stadt birgt. Diese Studie hat zwei Ziele: einerseits eine effiziente Methode für die Sammlung und Analyse von Holzkohle in einer dichten urbanen Umgebung mittels trocken gesiebter Fragmente über 5 mm Größe zu beschreiben und andererseits auf diesem Wege das Abhängigkeitsverhältnis zwischen Pompeji und seinem Hinterland für die Brennstoffversorgung am Fallbeispiel des Hauses der Vestalinnen nachzuvollziehen. Einer Pilotstudie von 25 Kontexten aus sechs ‘Räumen’ und 750 Holzkohlefragmenten folgte die erweiterte Studie von 62 Kontexten aus 14 ‘Räumen’ und insgesamt 1579 Holzkohlefragmenten. Die erweiterten Ergebnisse identifizierten in geringem Maße zwei zusätzliche Taxa, die durch nur drei Fragmente repräsentiert waren. Das wichtigste Holz konnte dagegen als das der Rotbuche (Fagus sylvatica) identifiziert werden, das – abhängig von der Epoche – 50–75 % des Brennmaterialbedarfs ausmachte. Die Rotbuche wächst bevorzugt oberhalb von etwa 900 m in Zentral- und Süditalien, Pompeji liegt dagegen auf 30 m ü. NN mit einer Mindestentfernung zu den nächsten Bergen von mindestens 15 km.

Die Studie zeigt, dass in Böden mit entsprechender Erhaltung eine Methode, die auf der Aufsammlung von Holzkohlen aus dem standardmäßigen Trockensieben mit einer Korngröße von 5 mm basiert, auf kostengünstige Weise in einem Städtischen Umfeld stabile Ergebnisse zeitigen kann. Translation by Heiner Schwarzberg.

Keywords

Classical archaeologyPompeiiancient economyenvironmentbio-archaeological recoverycharcoal analysisdry sievingarchéologie classiquePompéiéconomie ancienneenvironnementrécupération bioarchéologiqueanalyse de charbontamisage par voie sècheKlassische ArchäologiePompejifrühe ÖkonomieUmweltbioarchäologische BergungHolzkohlenanalyseTrockensieben
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 17 , Issue 1 , 2014 , pp. 27 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 2014 

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