Travertine - Piccolo Mercato (I,VIII,1)

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Piccolo Mercato (I,VIII,1) - nrs. 162-177, 178-184

The building
Description and function The Piccolo Mercato was a storage building, for what goods is not known. The main entrance is on the north side, flanked by shops and staircases behind a portico.

Date The building was made during the early Hadrianic period.

Nrs. 162-177
Description The building contains both centralized stones and corner stones. We will begin with the description of the former.
The first stones are in the shop at the east end of the porticus. Nrs. 162-163 are in the east side of the central brick pier in the north entrance. Nrs. 164-165 are in the west side of the northeastern corner pier. Nrs. 166-167 are in the north side of this same pier, in the protruding part. There are no further stones in this room, even though the walls have been preserved to a sufficient height.
Nrs. 168-169 are actually outside the building. They are in the west side of a pier set against the outer west wall of building I,VI,1. This pier is to the east of the facade of the portico, at the start of the Via Tecta, that runs between the Piccolo Mercato and building I,VI,1.
Nrs. 170-171 are in the south side of the first (easternmost) pier of the porticus. Most of the northern part of this pier has disappeared. Only the north side of the second pier is visible, the other sides are covered by secondary masonry. The third and fourth pier are completely covered by secondary masonry. Only the upper part of the south side of the fifth pier can be seen. Only the north and east side of the sixth pier can be seen (the secondary masonry to the west is not indicated on the plan). Nr. 172 is in the east side of the sixth pier. The seventh pier is completely covered by secondary masonry. Only the north and west side of the eighth pier are visible. Nrs. 173-174 are in the west side. Nr. 175 is in the east side, nr. 176 in the south side of the ninth (westernmost) pier. Nr. 177 is opposite nr. 176, in the southwest corner of the portico.

Plan of the north part of the building. After SO I.

Date All centralized stones are in Hadrianic masonry.

Measurements Meas. according to VdM, 162: starts at 0.76; l. 0.23, h. 0.15; 163: starts at 2.27; l. 0.31, h. 0.18; 164: starts at 0.70; l. 0.34, h. 0.20; 165: starts at 2.22; l. 0.27, h. 0.22; 166: starts at 0.74; l. 0.31, h. 0.20; 167: starts at 2.15; l. 0.24, h. 0.23; 168: starts at 0.77; l. 0.30, h. 0.30; 169: starts at 1.99; l. 0.26, h. 0.22; 170: starts at 0.77; l. 0.36, h. 0.20; 171: starts at 2.24; l. 0.28, h. 0.20; 172: starts at 0.62; l. 0.35, h. 0.34; 173: starts at 0.53; l. 0.32, h. 0.28; 174: starts at 1.77; l. 0.32, h. 0.28; 175: starts at 1.64; l. 0.26, h. 0.29; 176: starts at 2.00; l. 0.38, h. 0.30; 177: starts at 2.20; l. 0.30, h. 0.22.

Remarks
Most of the lower stones are longer than the upper stones.
Presumably more centralized stones are hidden by the secondary masonry.

Nrs. 178-184
Description We continue the desciption with the cornerstones.
Nrs. 178-179 are in secondary masonry set against the north side of the third pier. Nr. 178 is in the north-east corner, nr. 179 in the north-west corner. Nrs. 180-181 are in secondary masonry set against the north side of the fourth pier. Nr. 180 is in the north-east corner, nr. 181 in the north-west corner. Nr. 182 is in secondary masonry set against the north side of the fifth pier. It is in the north-west corner, there is no stone in the north-east corner, which is partly modern. Nrs. 183-184 are in secondary masonry set against the north side of the seventh pier. Nr. 183 is in the north-east corner, nr. 184 in the north-west corner. There is no secondary masonry set against the north side of the remaining piers.

Plan of the north part of the building. After SO I.

Date All cornerstones are in secondary masonry that has not been dated.

Measurements Meas. according to VdM, 178: starts at 0.51; l. 0.52, w. 0.36, h. 0.33; 179: starts at 0.60; l. 0.48, w. 0.34, h. 0.25; 180: starts at 0.58; l. 0.42, w. 0.30, h. 0.21; 181: starts at 0.57; l. 0.46, w. 0.32, h. 0.23; 182: starts at 0.58; l. 0.34, w. 0.32, h. 0.14; 183: starts at 0.50; l. 0.51, w. 0.39, h. 0.15; 184: starts at 0.49; l. 0.44, w. 0.27, h. 0.15.

Remarks
Most likely the cornerstones belong to the category of corner bases and were warning signals for traffic.
It is surprising that these signals were inserted, but no replacements for the centralized stones that are presumably behind the added masonry.

Photos

Centralized stones 162-163 (right), seen from the south-east.

Centralized stones 168-169, 166-167 and 164-165, seen from the north-west.

Cornerstones 178-179, 180-181 and 182, seen from the north-east.

Cornerstone 182, centralized stone 172 and cornerstones 183-184, seen from the north-east.

Centralized stones 173-174, 177 and 175, seen from the north.

Centralized stones 176 and 173-174, seen from the south.

The building
Description and function	The Piccolo Mercato was a storage building, for what goods is not known. The main entrance is on the north side, flanked by shops and staircases behind a portico.
Date	The building was made during the early Hadrianic period.

Nrs. 162-177
Description	The building contains both centralized stones and corner stones. We will begin with the description of the former. The first stones are in the shop at the east end of the porticus. Nrs. 162-163 are in the east side of the central brick pier in the north entrance. Nrs. 164-165 are in the west side of the northeastern corner pier. Nrs. 166-167 are in the north side of this same pier, in the protruding part. There are no further stones in this room, even though the walls have been preserved to a sufficient height. Nrs. 168-169 are actually outside the building. They are in the west side of a pier set against the outer west wall of building I,VI,1. This pier is to the east of the facade of the portico, at the start of the Via Tecta, that runs between the Piccolo Mercato and building I,VI,1. Nrs. 170-171 are in the south side of the first (easternmost) pier of the porticus. Most of the northern part of this pier has disappeared. Only the north side of the second pier is visible, the other sides are covered by secondary masonry. The third and fourth pier are completely covered by secondary masonry. Only the upper part of the south side of the fifth pier can be seen. Only the north and east side of the sixth pier can be seen (the secondary masonry to the west is not indicated on the plan). Nr. 172 is in the east side of the sixth pier. The seventh pier is completely covered by secondary masonry. Only the north and west side of the eighth pier are visible. Nrs. 173-174 are in the west side. Nr. 175 is in the east side, nr. 176 in the south side of the ninth (westernmost) pier. Nr. 177 is opposite nr. 176, in the southwest corner of the portico. Plan of the north part of the building. After SO I.
Date	All centralized stones are in Hadrianic masonry.
Measurements	Meas. according to VdM, 162: starts at 0.76; l. 0.23, h. 0.15; 163: starts at 2.27; l. 0.31, h. 0.18; 164: starts at 0.70; l. 0.34, h. 0.20; 165: starts at 2.22; l. 0.27, h. 0.22; 166: starts at 0.74; l. 0.31, h. 0.20; 167: starts at 2.15; l. 0.24, h. 0.23; 168: starts at 0.77; l. 0.30, h. 0.30; 169: starts at 1.99; l. 0.26, h. 0.22; 170: starts at 0.77; l. 0.36, h. 0.20; 171: starts at 2.24; l. 0.28, h. 0.20; 172: starts at 0.62; l. 0.35, h. 0.34; 173: starts at 0.53; l. 0.32, h. 0.28; 174: starts at 1.77; l. 0.32, h. 0.28; 175: starts at 1.64; l. 0.26, h. 0.29; 176: starts at 2.00; l. 0.38, h. 0.30; 177: starts at 2.20; l. 0.30, h. 0.22.

Nrs. 178-184
Description	We continue the desciption with the cornerstones. Nrs. 178-179 are in secondary masonry set against the north side of the third pier. Nr. 178 is in the north-east corner, nr. 179 in the north-west corner. Nrs. 180-181 are in secondary masonry set against the north side of the fourth pier. Nr. 180 is in the north-east corner, nr. 181 in the north-west corner. Nr. 182 is in secondary masonry set against the north side of the fifth pier. It is in the north-west corner, there is no stone in the north-east corner, which is partly modern. Nrs. 183-184 are in secondary masonry set against the north side of the seventh pier. Nr. 183 is in the north-east corner, nr. 184 in the north-west corner. There is no secondary masonry set against the north side of the remaining piers. Plan of the north part of the building. After SO I.
Date	All cornerstones are in secondary masonry that has not been dated.
Measurements	Meas. according to VdM, 178: starts at 0.51; l. 0.52, w. 0.36, h. 0.33; 179: starts at 0.60; l. 0.48, w. 0.34, h. 0.25; 180: starts at 0.58; l. 0.42, w. 0.30, h. 0.21; 181: starts at 0.57; l. 0.46, w. 0.32, h. 0.23; 182: starts at 0.58; l. 0.34, w. 0.32, h. 0.14; 183: starts at 0.50; l. 0.51, w. 0.39, h. 0.15; 184: starts at 0.49; l. 0.44, w. 0.27, h. 0.15.