Deities and crafts

We already encountered some evidence in workshops and warehouses, but there is more. A tiny niche (height 0.22) can be found in the room with the kneading machines in the House of the Millstones. The sides and back are made of upright bricks. There is nothing to indicate that it was used to fix machinery, and we may imagine a statuette of a deity inside.

The niche in the room with the kneading machines in the House of the Millstones.
Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.

A semicircular niche can be seen in the central area of Mill-bakery I,XIII,4 (width 0.46, depth 0.15, preserved height 0.45). Later two cisterns were set in front. In the niche a statuette of Venus was found with a mantle around the legs, the head and arms missing. It showed traces of "burning by the fire that had developed in this entire zone".

Two cisterns in Mill-bakery I,XIII,4. The curved niche can just be seen top right, behind the basins.
Photo: Klaus Heese.

Next to the House of Annius is the Warehouse of the dolia III,XIV,3. It contains a number of dolia defossa, buried storage jars for olive oil. In the back wall a semicircular niche was hacked out, in the right wall a rectangular niche. In both niches are remains of plaster.

General view of the storage room.
Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.

The semicircular niche in the back wall.
Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.

The rectangular niche in the right wall.
Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.

The late antique House on the Decumanus was installed in shops with backrooms. These were connected with Building III,II,4, a commercial building made up of large halls. In a jamb of the passage between the two buildings was a niche, blocked in a later phase when the buildings were separated. Only the lower rectangular part of the niche has been preserved. It was made of red bricks that differ from those of the wall and have very thin mortar layers. The bottom has a cornice and rests on two brick consoles.

View from the House on the Decumanus towards building 4.
The niche can be seen in the centre, in a jamb of the passage between the two buildings.
Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.

Detail of the niche. Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.

A very simple niche can be seen in Building III,VII,6. The function of the building is not clear (a stable?). The niche is in a room in the south corner, next to a door. It has remains of plaster.

The room with a niche in building III,VII,6.
Photo: Eric Taylor.

Detail of the niche. Photo: Jan Theo Bakker.