Utica on Gardens of the Roman Empire

House H (Maison H)

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

Dates

1st-3rd century CE

Garden Description

This house, the largest in insula III (lots 2,3,4,9,10), rivals the House of the Cascade in size and richness of mosaics. A semicircular basin extended into the garden on the S and E sides, each decorated with a marine scene.

Plans

Fig.1: Plan of the House H (CMT, pp.121-128).

Bibliography

Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp.346-347. (worldcat)
Dulière, C., Ben Baaziz, S., et al., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Utique, Les Mosaïque in situ en dehors des insulae I-II-III, INA, Tunis, 1974, pp.121-128. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Cascade (Maison de la Cascade)

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

Dates

1st-2nd century CE

Garden Description

This house, the largest in the insula II (lots 2,3,8,9,10), was given its present form in the second century. A large peristyle with elaborate viridarium dominated the S part of the house. The large shallow pool in the center of the garden occupied a rectangular area that was largely filled by a huge marble-faced masonry construction with semicircular and rectangular niches that gave the pool a baroque shape. The marble-faced construction probably held an important sculpture. Water from the fountain jet spilled from the marble-lined channel cut into the base and then spilled into the pool. The sundial, today at the edge of the base of the pool, is not in its original position.

Extending into the garden from the two central columns on the N was a semicircular pool (which faced the large room (XXXIV), decorated with a well preserved mosaic showing an Eros fishing from a boat, surrounded by fish and other sea animals. A wide entrance on the E side of the garden led through the portico to the triclinium, by far the largest room in the house.

Opening off of the triclinium to the S was a smaller area enclosed by a portico on three sides. The dominant feature was the shallow square basin (1.92x 1.2 m) decorated with a fish mosaic and the adjacent mosaic panel from which the house is named. In the cascade panel, two fishermen are pulling in a vast net full of fish and sea animals. The soil on each side of the cascade was probably planted.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan of the House of the Cascade (CMT, plan 5,7)

Bibliography

Alexander, M. A., Ennaifer, M., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Utique, insulae, I-II-III, INA, Tunis, 1973, pp. 19-56, plan 5,7 and plates 8, 9, 25, 63. (worldcat)
Bullo, S. and F. Ghedini,. Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp.351-354. (worldcat)
Février P.-A., "Image, imaginaire et symbolisme. A propos de deux maisons du Maghreb antique", in Mosaïque, Recueil d'hommages à Henri Stern, Paris,1983, pp. 159-162. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Figured Basin (Maison du bassin figuré)

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

Dates

2nd-4th century CE

Garden Description

The house was located in the insula III. The rectangular courtyard, in the SW corner on the axis of the great hall (XI), paved during the last period may have been a garden earlier. It had a semicircular basin with a geometric design in the bottom. The wall and the brim were figured.

Plans

Fig. 1: Plan view of the House of the Figured Basin (CMT, plan 22).

Bibliography

Alexander, M. A., Ennaifer, M., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Utique, insulae, I-II-III, INA, Tunis, 1973, pp. 121, 126-128, plan 22. (worldcat)
Bullo, S. and F. Ghedini,. Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003,pp.344-345. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Grand Oecus (Maison du grand oecus)

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

Dates

1st-2nd century CE

Garden Description

This house is the most important dwelling discovered to date at Utica. The large peristyle garden (XXVII), enclosed by a portico on four sides (XXVIII-XXX) had a long basin euripus concave at each end down the center of the garden. The bottom was paved with a simple mosaic. The semicircular pool extending into the garden on the N side was also paved with a simple mosaic.

Plans

Fig.1: Plan of the House of the Grand Oecus (CMT, plans 1, 2).

Bibliography

Bullo, S. and F. Ghedini,. Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp.341-343. (worldcat)
Dulière, C., Ben Baaziz, S., et al., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Utique, Les Mosaïque in situ en dehors des insulae I-II-III, INA, Tunis, 1974, pp. 1-18, plans 1, 2. (worldcat)

Keywords

House of the Treasure (Maison au trésor)

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

Dates

1st-4th century CE

Garden Description

The House is located in the insula II (Lots 1,7). The peristyle garden had a semicircular basin extending from the two middle columns on the S side, facing the triclinium (XVII) during the first century AD. When the house was substantially altered in the second century the enlargement of the curb on the adjoining well destroyed half of the basin. At the same time the oecus was subdivided into several rooms, the courtyard was paved.

Plans

Fig.1: Plan of the House of the Treasure (CMT, plans 3,4)

Bibliography

Bullo, S. and F. Ghedini,. Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp.348-349. (worldcat)
Dulière, C., Ben Baaziz, S., et al., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Utique, Les Mosaïque in situ en dehors des insulae I-II-III, INA, Tunis, 1974, pp.11-18, plans 3,4.(worldcat)

Keywords

House of the West (Maison de l'est)

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

Dates

2nd century CE

Garden Description

The peristyle garden (V) has a rectangular basin with curved angles extending from two middle columns on the W side, facing the triclinium (XI). The house is dated to the II century.

Plans

Fig.1: Plan of the House of the West (CMT, plan 4)

Bibliography

Bullo, S. and F. Ghedini,. Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp.339-340. (worldcat)
Dulière, C., Ben Baaziz, S., et al., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Utique, Les Mosaïque in situ en dehors des insulae I-II-III, INA, Tunis, 1974, pp.19-26, plans 4. (worldcat)

Keywords

Insula II, lot 4

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

Dates

Unspecified

Garden Description

The peristyle courtyard is destroyed today, but there is soil in it. It may have been originally planted.

Plans

Fig.1: Plan of the of the peristyle, Insula II, lot 4 (CMT, plans 8).

Bibliography

Dulière, C., Ben Baaziz, S., et al., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Utique, Les Mosaïque in situ en dehors des insulae I-II-III, INA, Tunis, pp. 57-66, plans 8-10. (worldcat)