Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. May 2010. Street altar on east side of Vicolo dell’Efebo. Looking south from Via dell’Abbondanza.
In 1912 the Vicolo dell’Efebo was excavated for a short distance only.
On the west side of insula I.8 (the east side of the Vicolo dell’ Efebo) a painting of a long serpent was found.
It was winding in coils towards what they believed might be a central altar with a second serpent on the other side.
This would mean a painting of around 10 metres in length if this were found to be the case when it was fully excavated.
To the left the wall had painted panels (then no longer visible), divided in the middle by a thin garland, and under these was a long seat covered with cocciopesto.
See Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità, 1912,
p. 184.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. December 2018. Looking
towards Altar on east side of Vicolo dell’Efebo. Photo
courtesy of Aude Durand.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018. Bench at junction of Via dell’Abbondanza and Vicolo dell’Efebo, below
street shrine.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October 2018. Looking south along street altar on east side of Vicolo dell’Efebo.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2004. Street altar on east side of Vicolo dell’Efebo on outside wall of I.8.1.
Looking south from junction with Via dell’ Abbondanza between I.8 and I.7.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. Drawing of street altar.
Maiuri recorded a large masonry compital altar, the biggest yet found, with a long ramp.
At the summit of the ramp was a rectangular altar with roughly painted marble decoration.
At the sides of the altar were two long serpents winding amongst plants towards the offerings on the altar.
The low podium to the left had two painted panels on the upper margins of which the characters of a painted inscription were discernible.
Very little was conserved.
See Maiuri, A., 1928. Nuovi Scavi nella Via dell’Abbondanza. Milano: Hoepli, (p. 6, fig. 2).
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October 2018.
West perimeter wall, with remains of lararium, white at
bottom with serpent at the side of an altar.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018. West exterior side wall.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. December 2018. North end of
remains of painting to north of altar. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. December 2018. Detail of
remains of painting to north of altar. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2005. North end of remains of painting to north of altar.
The vertical red line of the panels above the bench can be seen on the left.
Next to that is the end of the serpents’ tail and the first few coils.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. Detail from drawing of north end of remains of painting.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018.
Remains of painting immediately to north of ramp to altar. This used to show more coils of the serpent.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2005.
Remains of painting immediately to north of altar. This used to show more coils of the serpent.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. Detail from drawing of painting immediately to north of altar.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2005. Long ramp with altar on top.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018. Looking south along ramp with altar, on east side of Vicolo dell’Efebo.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018. West exterior side wall with ramp and altar.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar
at I.8.1. October
2018. Detail of west exterior side wall with ramp and altar.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018. West exterior side wall with remaining painted serpent’s coil
above ramp and altar.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. December 2018. Looking
towards altar on top of ramp against east wall. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2005.
Rectangular altar on top of the ramp and remains of painting on south of the altar.
The hole in the wall is where a down pipe used to be.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. Rectangular altar on top of the ramp and remains of painting on south of the altar.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. 1968. Rectangular altar on top of the ramp with remains of painting. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
J68f0549
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. 1968. Remains of painting on wall at top of altar. Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
J68f0548
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October 2018. Looking east
towards west exterior side of altar at top of ramp.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018.
Looking east towards west
exterior side of altar at top of ramp, and detail of painted serpent’s coil.
Foto
Taylor Lauritsen, ERC Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2005. Rectangular altar with remains of plaster.
On the wall behind can be seen the last coil of the serpent which had its head over the offering on the altar.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. Detail from drawing of rectangular altar with roughly painted marble pattern.
The two serpents’ heads can be seen over the offering on the altar.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2005. Rectangular altar on top of the ramp.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018. Looking north towards altar on top of ramp, on east side of Vicolo
dell’Efebo.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. October
2018. Looking north to south side of altar on top of ramp.
Foto Taylor Lauritsen, ERC
Grant 681269 DÉCOR.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. December 2018.
Looking north along site of street painting on east side of
Vicolo dell’Efebo. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. December 2018. Remains of
plaster and painting on south side of altar. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2005. Remains of plaster and painting on south side of altar.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. September 2005.
Remains of painting of second serpent to south of altar.
Pompeii Street Altar at I.8.1. Detail from drawing of painting of second serpent to south of altar.