DRAFT

Les Basaltes, House A

Contributor: Yichen Liu
Published: 2021-04-21
Modified: 2025-06-29

Province

Province Description

Ancient Roman colony (founded 118 BCE) and senatorial province located in modern southern France, along the Mediterranean. This province had stronger cultural and political ties to Italy than the rest of Gaul.

Location

Sublocation

Les Basaltes, House A

House

Les Basaltes, House A

Keywords

House Description

This house is in the eastern quarter of the town, near the temple of the Basaltes, 200 m to the west of the forum. It lies 35 m to the south of the apparently private baths of la Planchette, near the temple of the Basaltes. Excavated in 1983-1984, the walls are for the most part destroyed down to the level of the foundations. The house covers an area of 632.5 sq m, with a usable covered surface of 356.9 sq m. After a previous state not well known, it was rebuilt between 10 and 20 A.D.. It saw several phases before being abandoned at the end of the third century. The eastern part of the house is unknown.

At the end of the Augustan epoch, a courtyard occupied the southern part of the area, without doubt an area free of construction with an entrance porch on the south [7]. Later, it was rearranged with a space [4] on the west which was long considered agricultural.

A peristyle [15] seems to be starting off towards the north, but its limits are unknown. The stylobate delimiting the west branch of the portico [14] was constructed only in the Flavian period. We know only the southwest corner of the peristyle, however the nature of the surface of the open space has not been ascertained.

At first, this relatively modest dwelling was thought to have perhaps belonged to an artisan or peasant. But the presence of the private baths to the northeast opens the possibility of seeing in it a part of a great domus with porticos and a grand central garden and associated baths. There is, however, a discrepancy between the luxury of the baths and the simplicity of the excavated area of the house, which seems to have been a service or common area.

Plans

Plan of Les Basaltes, House A

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