Transcript EARNING A LIVING IN POMPEII

Producers or Consumers?
 : “ The location
of Pompeii as a port and central to
the fertile Campanian hinterland and Italian
penninsula ensured its vibrant and cosmopolitan
economic activity in primary secondary and
tertiary activity. The excavation of up to 600 shops
indicates the scale of such economic activity ”
 “Profit is Joy”
 The traditional view was that the purpose of Pompeian
economic activity was the production of material wealth
for consumption by the local population.
 Current debate centres around the possibility of some
export and import trade, particularly with wine and olives
 Production, however , rarely went beyond the scale of the
household.
 The production of staple food, bread , wine, grapes and fish
sauce, combined with processing industries in cloth
manufacture, metallurgy, wheelwrights and potters served
to create self sufficiency
 The cost of transport, dependence on local
resources and slavery all served to limit expansion
 Pompeii’s position , near the sea and the navigable
river Sarno did encourage some trade
 The economy of Pompeii encompassed Primary,
Secondary and Tertiary levels of Production
 Major industries were Wine, Olives, Wool and
Textiles
 Smaller industries were fish sauce, pottery,
perfume, Soap, Metal work
The villa was excavated between
1978-1980. It is made up of 10
rooms, loosely arranged around
a courtyard, which had 18
sunken dolia, which could have
held a maximum of 10,000 litres
of fermenting wine. Although
viticulture was the most
important activity other vines
and trees eg oloves, almond, fig,
apricot, cherry and walnut were
found
The names of several types of wine
grown on the slopes of Vesuvius
are known from literature.
Horconian wine, possibly thought
to be connected to the Holconian
family of Pompeii and Vesuvinum
has been found on amphorae
located in both Pompeii and
Carthage.
Pompeian wine amphorae have also
been found in Ostia, Spain, Alesia,
Germany and as far as Britain.
From the 1960’s Jashemski’s ground
breaking study of root cavities revealed the
existence of food producing areas such as
commercial market gardens within the walls
of Pompeii
Excavation of the gardens of this house
revealed extensive plantings of not only
grape vines but also fruit and nut trees as
well as vegetables. The range and extent
suggested commercial production but
probably sold at the local markets
Animal bones were also found from dog,
sheep, goats, pig and chicken
Processing of oil seems concentrated in
rural areas where large quantities could
be extracted using the lever and windlass
type press commonly used for pressing
grapes, such as has been found in the
Villa of the Mysteries just outside
Pompeii's Herculaneum Gate. These
presses were expensive and so were
probably reserved for high volume
production on villas and not for
household use in the city. Following
separation from the amurca, the oil was
placed in amphorae and then taken into
town to be distributed or sold in the
market.
In a handbook on Agriculture
Cato, a Roman politician
recommends Pompeian oil
presses as the best
 Because the the garum vats would have smelled
particularly unpleasant, scholars think that garum
production did not take place within the walls but
instead at Pompeii’s port facility on the Sarno River
 Inscriptions painted on pottery vessels reveal the name
Aulus Umbricius Scaurus, who ran a number of
workshops producing Garum. Around 30% of
inscriptions on fish sauce containers in Campania
relate to his workshops
Containers called urcei
“The entrails of sprats or sardines…were
mixed with finely chopped portions of fish
and roe and eggs and then pounded,
crushed and stirred. The mixture was left
in the sun and beaten into a pulp when
fermented.”
Michael Grant
 Most primary production took place in the rural hinterland
although Jashemski’s studies using pollen and seed
analyses indicate some market garden activities close to the
amphitheatre.
 Secondary production occurred in small to medium
workshops , generally using slave labour
 “The workshops at Pompeii did manufacture goods that
were exported; …..initially exchanged at the port of Puteoli,
the port of Rome, from where they were taken to the
markets of the capital. Traders in Rome and Puteoli would
have distributed the products throughout the Empire.” Ray
Laurence Space and Society in Pompeii
 The scale of textile production is disputed with some
claiming it as a major activity, arguing that the number of
fulleries and dye shops far exceeded demand.
 Of the fulleries found, 4 are large. The Fullery of Stephanus
contained several rooms with a clothes press, basins for
washing, foot basins for treading ( using animal or human
urin since no soap to remove grease or dirt existed) and 3
large basins for rinsing. There was also a large balcony
overlooking the atrium from which finished clothes could
be dried.
 Near the entrance, a skeleton was found with gold, silver
and bronze coins to the value of 1,089 sesterces, thought to
represent the days takings.
The traditional view is that the
ancients purchased their flour from
the miller and made their own bread
at home.
However there is little evidence from
the ovens located in houses.
Commercial bakeries are found
throughout both towns. The Bakery
of Modestus was found with 81
loaves still in the ovens at the time of
the eruption
Closer to the Forum and located along main
thorough fares such as Via Dell Abbondanza
were shops which sold bread. Paintings such as
the one on the right were found decorating the
walls of such shops
Some controversy exists over whether the
painting depicts the free distribution of bread
given to the poor as a type of welfare.
Evidence tells us that bread was
formed into round shapes and
formed into 8 segments, although
small rolls and biscuits were also sold
From frescoes , paintings and graffiti we can
establish a list of occupations found at Pompeii;
Auctioneer, baker, barber, bath attendant,, builder,
carpenter, dyer, gem cutter, innkeeper, miller, money
lender, mason, musician, painter, cook, prostitute,
scribe, sign writer, surgeon, teacher, weaver and wine
seller
More than a dozen workshops have been found
to be associated with metal work of some sort.
Shop signs and graffiti also support evidence for
such activity
A marble relief has been found which shows
copper smiths at work
A tinkers shop has been found at Herculaneum
with a forge for heating metal with bellows
 The number of bars, taverns and brothels in the
archaeological remains, suggests a buoyant service
industry.
 Hotels with dining rooms and guest
accommodation have been found at both sites
 Large numbers of people gained employment as
staff at baths, masseurs, barbers, carriers, and
muleteers
 In the narrow streets to the east of the Forum as
many as nine buildings have been identified as
brothels. To date none have been excavated at
Herculaneum
Carbonized remains of eggs,
paintings and shop signs give
abundant evidence of the variety
and number of retail shops
distributed throughout Pompeii
and Herculaneum
 CAUPONA- Tavern or Inn, with or without rooms for
rent.At the Inn of Asselina there were tables and
chairs, hot wine was served. The kettle for heating
wine was found with the lid still on. The names of the
3 women who worked there were written on the walls.(
Maria, Smyrna, Aegle- slaves have only one name)
 THERMOPOLIA- Small hot food and drink bars which
did not provide seating
Public eating took place at Thermopolia (
snack bars)and Tabernae, in which large dolia
in a marble bench held hot drinks and dishes.
200 found in Pompeii. One of the largest found
in Herculaneum opposite Palaestra had 2
entrances
Valeria Hedone, Innkeeper “ Handsome
soldier, drink here for just 1 as, for 2 asses
you can drink better, and for 4 asses have
some really good Falernian wine.”
 Argument centres around whether the rooms at the
back or upstairs served as brothels
 Prostitutes , although low in social status were free to
wander the streets. Others had their services
advertised.
 There is some debate about Asellina’s caupona because
of the mention of the three girls names. However there
is no evidence to confirm that the establishment was
anything more than an Inn
Work by the Bradford Team in the Anglo Forum
Project identified 1000 coins found at Pompeii. The
large number of local copper and bronze coins
known as pseudo ebusus coins suggest the use of a
largely localised monetary economy. To date no mint
has been excavated
A long list of food prices was found scratched on
the Wall of an atrium
We also know from an inscription that Herculaneum had an
official set of weights and measures
Receipt for sale of 1 mule at auction by Caecilius
Felix
Receipt for 38,079 sesterces from auction for
Marcus Lucretius Lerus
Receipt for auction of slave of Lucius Iunius
Aquila
 Allowing for the problem that only 1/3 of Herculaneum
has been excavated it appears that the resort nature of
the town limited economic activity to retail and
tertiary industry such as bakeries, food shops, taverns.
 There is some evidence of fishing, boats and nets,
however it is seen to be small scale and supplying the
needs of the local population
 Food and items were sold , direct from workshops,
general shops, inside and outside the Macellum, the
meat and fish market.
 But not all vendors required permanent shops. Wall
paintings from the Villa of Julia Felix depicts stalls in
the Forum and graffiti advertizes market days held at
Pompeii, Nuceria, Nola, Cumae and Puteoli at
different times of the month
 Pompeii was a consumer city, economically dependant on the
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agricultural products of the hinterland ~ Weber
No. of production facilities within the region is sufficient for Pompeii &
an export market ~ Moeller
Jongman believes that spinning and weaving were household crafts
Small no. of workshops would service city not export market ~ Jongman
Presence of looms in houses indicates weaving was small scale ~
Jongman
Inscriptions record the use of wool in private residences
Six dye houses found in Pompeii ~ Moeller
Moeller identified a number of workshops in the archaeological record
with processes associated with wool and cloth cleaning. ~ Ray
Lawrence
Involves 700 – 1000 workers ~ Moeller
Large flocks of sheep for wool
Implication of commercial & ornamental gardening shows the
distinction between town & country is blurred ~ Jashemski