A Caupona in Herculaneum
The Archaeological Remains of the Best Preserved Shop in Antiquity
Apr 14, 2009
Situated on Insula V, Cardo IV next door to the House of Neptune and Amphitrite, the name of this caupona is lost to us. The best preserved shop in antiquity, it contains a wealth of information about the facilities, food and layout of an everyday Roman caupona as well as how commercial properties co existed besides well to do houses.
The Caupona and the House of Neptune and Amphitrite
Archaeologists have estimated that the caupona was built ten years before the destruction of Herculaneum. It was situated at the front of the house of Neptune and Amphitrite to the right of the entrance and was connected to that property by a door. This makes it very likely that both properties were owned by the same person.
It is very unlikely that the owner of the house ran the bar himself. It is more likely that he rented the bar space out to someone else. This was common practice in the roman world, where commercial properties often fronted high status roman town houses.
The Remains of the Caupona
The property is extremely well persevered. Its wooden furnishings and fittings were carbonised and preserved by the eruption of 79AD. The remains of three skeletons were also found in situ by one of the stoves at the back of the shop.
It was a simple caupona with a basic cement floor and wall paintings. Its layout remains clear. A counter stretched out at the front, enabling the patron to serve customers straight off the street or from within the bar itself. Seating would have been limited to a small area to the right of the shop.
The serving area was divided from the storage and cookery area at the back of the shop by a small partition that limited the view whilst still allowing access. In this back area, a series of wine racks were found fixed to the south wall, with wine amphorae still in place. A balcony area on the next wall provided extra storage space. In the south east corner remains an arched support for one of the caupona’s three stoves that were used to serve warm food and drink to its patrons.
Typical Roman Bar Snacks
Thanks again to carbonisation of the remains; archaeologists are able to comment on some of the snack foods served in this caupona. They seem to have been cheap and probably quite nutritious. Large storage dolia were found in the caupona containing legumes such as chickpeas and fava beans, possibly served stewed in stock or olive oil.
Sources
Herculaneum: The Excavations, Local History and Surroundings by Maria Emma Antoinetta Pirozzi . Electra. Naples.
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