Location of Domestic Rituals in the Roman Empire: An Interprovincial Comparison

Concerning the location of domestic cults a homogenous practice within the entire Roman empire is generally assumed. When the placement of domestic shrines and other cultic installations is discussed, it is usually in terms of conceptual differentiations like private or public spaces (atrium, peristyle vs. kitchen, cubicula). In so far, however, the problem arises, that ‘privateness’ as a modern concept is difficult to grasp in Roman houses. In contrast to that problem-laden approach the paper focuses on the physical setting of domestic shrines within the house. Based on methods of architectural sociology the location of these cultic installations, their accessibility and their integration into the domestic structure are analysed and measured. These quantifiable parameters enable interprovincial comparisons: Using the best-known structures in the Vesuvius area as a starting point and comparative basis the location and shape in different regions of the Roman Empire are examined with the result that the setting and design of domestic shrines and the ritual activities taking place there are characterized by the use of Italic models, the transmission of local traditions or even the development of new forms.

Robustness of the Vesuvian Roofs Under the Combined Overload and High Temperatures Due to Air Falls

During an explosive eruption, a construction is hit by several actions, always associated to elevated temperatures, causing fires, possible explosions and reduction of the mechanical properties of the structural materials. In this paper the attention is focused on the analysis of a specific volcanic event, the so-called air fall deposits, generally falling from the eruptive column due to gravity. The study, starting within the European COST Action C26 project “Urban habitat construction under catastrophic events” (2006-2010), is concerned with the Vesuvius area at Naples in Italy. It faces two important aspects. The first items the proposal of a model for the air fall deposits action on the basis of a similitude with the snow load. The second item is the robustness evaluation against the air fall deposits of the most common roof types in the Vesuvian area, which are made of timber, steel and reinforced concrete. Therefore, some protection systems for mitigating the effects of the combination of overloading and high temperatures on the examined roofing structures are identified.

Spatial and temporal distribution of vertical ground movements at Mt. Vesuvius in the period 1973-2009

<p>Since the early ’70s vertical ground movements at Mount Vesuvius area have been investigated and monitored by the Osservatorio Vesuviano (Isti-tuto Nazionale di Geofisica Vulcanologia - Osservatorio Vesuviano since 2001). This monitoring began with the installation of a high-precision leveling line in the region at medium-high elevations on the volcano. The deformation pattern and expected strain field assessment methods in the volcanic structure induced by inner sources has demanded in subsequent years the expansion of the leveling network up to cover the whole volcanic area, enclosing part of leveling lines of other institutions. As a result of this expansion, the Mt. Vesuvius Area Leveling Network (VALN) has today reached a length of about 270 km and consists of 359 benchmarks. It is configured in 21 circuits and is connected, westward, to the Campi Flegrei leveling network and, northward, to the Campania Plain leveling network. The data collected have been carefully re-analyzed for random and systematic errors and for error propagation along the leveling lines to identify the areas affected by significant ground movements. For each survey, the data were rigorously adjusted and vertical ground movements were evaluated by differentiating the heights calculated by the various measurements conducted by the Osservatorio Vesuviano from 1973 to 2009.</p>