Economy of Pompeii and Herculaneum and Pompeii
- Created by: Alice
- Created on: 08-04-13 01:27
The economy of Herculaneum
(much less is known)
Fishing Village (no evidence of fullery, bakery etc)
- fish hooks discovered, bronze tools to repaid nets and an overturned boat
Large shop excavated outside palaestra - most likely a thermapolium
Cucumas Shop found: 4 different coloured and the different wine prices
- Semo Sancus (diviaty) on top - said to protect businesses
- Archeologists think it could be a Canpona (inn)
Customary to buy food out - not many houses had kitchens (problems of open fires)
Mauri completed an excavation in 1930s - constructed in Augustan period
Evidence of textile manufacture: Lanarius (wool)
Evidence of Bakery (Sextus Patalcus Felix) + carbonised timber
The economy of Pompeii - Agriculture
- More economically important to Herculaneum
- Fertile; drained volcanic soil and mild climate gave Pompeii great advantages in terms of agriculture
- many successful entrepreneurs gave their success to health of fertility
- Local goods were exported in exchange for lamps imported from Northen Italy, pottery from Gaul and oil and win from Spain
- Pompeii excavated food stuffs to a large proportion of the surrounding areas - evidence for agriculture includes farmsteads and working farms (villa Rusticate)
- Over 140 farming villas have been discovered
- Destroyed after insignificant analaysis and removed of wall paintings
- 2 surviving - Villa Regina, Villa Pisarella
- Sold in regular food markets (macellum)
- Forum market build after AD 62 (forum clitorio)
Markets
Common form of retailing and was open at least once a week
Mensa Ponderaria: Official set of height + measures so goods could be accurately tested
Vineyards + Wine Production
Both Villa Pisanella and Villa Regina were involved in wine production - wine storage area - 18 storage jars, 10 000L Capacity
Viticulture: Production of Wine
Tashemslei:
- Transformed our picture of land use within Pompeiis walls
- Plaster casts of vine root systems (identified specific plants)
Evidence to suggest pompeii produced more wine than it consumed - EXPORTS
Wine quality differed greatly
We must remember that Pompeiians didn't drink to get drunk, they druhnk wine because its was than their water - they also diluted it with water
It is suggested that only wealthy people (old money) could grow olive trees because they took generations to yeild anything + cost of oil + olive presses, but it was very profitable
The Oil Industry
Produced wine = also produced oil
Villa Pisanella (storage jars for 5910L of Oil)
Uses:
- cooking
- Lighting
- Personal hygiene (rubbed into body)
- Manufacture of Perfume
Presses were made of lava stone (trapeta) + mostly done of estates
Officinar Oleariae = retained oil
Garum
Garum: fermented fish sauce and hugely popular made of entrails of fish, dried and salted
Aulus Umbricius Scarus
- Chief manufacturer in Pompeii
- made varying quality
- some of his garum found in Herculaneum
Only a single garum shop has been excavated, evidence that it possibly has not produced within city walls because of the smell
- Most likely location Port on the River Surno
Also imported garum from Spain
Fullers
Fullery = Commercial laundary (more than 15 found in Pompeii) e.g. Fullery of Stephanus is the most famous
Steps:
- 1. Seeped in a mix of potash, soda and wee
- 2. pots were placed outside for people to contribute to urine
- 3. Rinsed with water from aqueduct
- 4. press to wring out wet garmets
Trades, arts and crafts
- workshops produced metal, glass and leather wares
- prelim sketches found in the House of Chaste Lovers
- Archeitects are named in inscriptions
- Marcus Artorius Primus - Oversaw restoration of Pompeiian theatre in Augustan times
- Frescoes depict carpentors at work
- Graffeti + election notices shed light on common trade and occupations
Commerce
150 carbonised wax tablets found in house of freedman banker Lucius Caecilius Jucundus
- Contain receipts for loans, rent payments and other business transactions
- Well preserved reciepts
Dyers
Offectors = dyer
Coloured clothes with veggie dyes
boiling water with Ammonium to get colours
- Bark of maple = brown
- root of Anchusa = pine
- chamomile flowers = green
- Safflower = red
6 dye shops identified
Fullers guild was heaps important
- Mainly libertini participating others not seen around 'dirty professions'
As the number of fuller and dye shops exceeded demand thought major nibet activity in sake if textile production
Bakeries
Pistrina - Bakery
- Pumice rocks to make break
- 81 loaves of carbonised bread bakers in Modestus
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