Clupea on Gardens of the Roman Empire

House of the Bust of Marcus Aurelius

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

2nd-3rd century CE

Garden Description

This domus (ca. 1000 m²) has a large central garden of irregular shape (250 m²) enclosed by a peristyle (20.20 x 21.40 m, 432.30 m²) (Plan view, Fig. 1). The northwest wing seems the most important area of the house. It had a large corridor XVII that opened onto a portico XVIII with a view toward the garden. In the garden, along the axis of the main reception room II, a semi-circular aedicula XXIV was installed on a cistern XXVI where fragments of Marcus Aurelius bust were found that was probably installed on a stuccoed statue base XXV. On the south side of the garden on the edge of the gallery XXI was a semi-circular pool XXVIII.

The wing that is perpendicular to the northwest one was comprised of a series of rooms built against the hill. All rooms were paved with mosaics and belonged to a latter phase. Rooms located on the higher level beyond this wing had a large panoramic view of the sea.

Built over an older establishment, the house presents two main phases. The main building dates from the 3rd quarter of the IInd century, with mosaic decoration from Severian times.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of Marcus Aurelius

Credit: (Lassère, J.-M., Slim, H., 2010)

Bibliography

Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, p. 84. (worldcat)
Ennabli, A., "Rapport préliminaire de la fouille de la villa romaine de Kelibia", in Africa, 3 (1969-70), pp. 239-41.
Lassère, J.-M., Slim, H., Maisons de Clupea. Les maisons de l'Ecole de pêche, Paris, 2010, pp. 67-148. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the small Peristyle

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

Late 1st-4th century CE

Garden Description

This small house (320 m²) is located on the lower part of the hill, south of the House of Marcus Aurelius. The plan is characteristic of small houses with a peristyle (Plan view, Fig. 1). The west part of the house is occupied by a large triclinium E opening onto the peristyle. Four other rooms paved with mosaics are laid on the north aisle. Surrounding the mortared courtyard H a low wall interweaves between the columns, creating a semi-circular exedra on the eastern side H4. Tis courtyard may have been planted at an earlier phase. Possibly belonging to this same house, the east part of the domus may have been a garden with a basin b in the northern corner. The house is dated from the Ist century A.D.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the Small Peristyle

Credit: (Lassère, J.-M., Slim, H., 2010)

Bibliography

Lassère, J.-M., Slim, H., Maisons de Clupea. Les maisons de l'Ecole de pêche, Paris, 2010, p. 25-66. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Two Hunts

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

2nd-3rd, 5th-6th century CE

Garden Description

Known for its beautiful hunting scene mosaics, this large domus (1100m²) was laid out around a square shaped peristyle-garden (15.50x15m) (Plan view, Fig. 1). The low wall of four porticos enclosed the viridarium, which curves to form an apse in front of the oecus. The house was constructed on the remains of an old salt factory; the three basins located on the east side of the garden are the remains of the previous phase of the building.

The house is dated to the 5th-6th century AD on the base of the style of its mosaics, however stratigraphical and archaeological evidence shows previous building phases and supplies a terminus post quem to the second half of the 2nd century - first half of the 3rd century.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the Two Hunts

Credit: (Ennaifer, M., 1994, pl. 94-106)

Bibliography

Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp. 80-83. (worldcat)
Ennaifer, M., "La maison des Deux Chasses à Kélibia", in Colloque de la mosaïque gréco romaine VII, 1, 1994 (1999), pp. 233-250, pl. 94-106. (worldcat)