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Regio I - Insula VIII - Horrea I,VIII,2
(Warehouse)

This warehouse was built c. 119-120 AD (opus mixtum). It was excavated in 1938, but the south part not to the second century floor level. To the east is a narrow alley (1.20 wide) with a gutter, separating the building from the Small Market (I,VIII,1). The northern part of the east wall is made of opus quadratum, presumably the remains of an earlier building.

The main entrance is in the north part, between five shops. The outer threshold of the vestibule is smooth, so there were no doors here. The inner threshold supported two doors. To the south-west and south-east of the entrance are two staircases. The interior is arranged around a long, narrow courtyard, surrounded by a porticus with brick piers. Between the piers are low balustrades (opus reticulatum). The courtyard had a floor of opus spicatum (small tiles in a herringbone pattern). The porticus is at varying levels, and had a floor of marble and travertine fragments, and of bipedales (tiles measuring two feet).

The rooms around the courtyard have raised floors of bipedales, supported by low walls. Air was let in through holes in the thresholds. Such floors protected the goods that were stored here from moisture. Grain without doubt. The raised floors do not belong to the original building phase.

There are extensive remains of plaster with red paint.

A third staircase is in the south part of the building.

In one of the rooms on the western side a mediaeval lime-kiln was found.

Plan of the store building

Plan of the store building. After SO I.

Photos



The vestibule, seen from the north.
Photo: Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.



The interior, seen from the north-west.
Photo: Daniel González Acuña.



The interior, seen from the south.
Photo: Daniel González Acuña.



Rooms along the east side, seen from the south-west.
Note the large tufa blocks and the holes in the thresholds.
Photo: Daniel González Acuña.



Detail of a threshold.
Photo: Daniel González Acuña.


[jthb - 24-Apr-2022]