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The Economy

The Economy. The Nature of Sources and Evidence. Industries. The main industries of the Vesuvian towns were based on agricultural production and fishing Villa Rusticae (farmsteads) and horti (market gardens) were numerous throughout the region and provided raw materials including:

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The Economy

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  1. The Economy The Nature of Sources and Evidence

  2. Industries • The main industries of the Vesuvian towns were based on agricultural production and fishing • Villa Rusticae (farmsteads) and horti (market gardens) were numerous throughout the region and provided raw materials including: • Wine • Olive Oil • Cereals • Fruit • vegetables • Meat • Wool

  3. Industries Wine and Oil Industry • Grapes and Olives were cultivated for wine and oil, the principal sources of income in the Vesuvian area • Wine • Rooms in villas were specialised for: • pressing grapes called torcularia • fermenting cellae vinariae • storing • Olive Oil • Used for: • Manufacturing perfume • Lighting • Cooking in thermopolia • Massaging bodies in the thermae and palaestra • As a soap • Olive oil produced in heated pressing and storage rooms of villas (These rooms had to be warmed by fire to be able to produce the oil and were often made of lave stone – trapeta) Wine Press - Torcular

  4. Evidence of Wine • Wilhelmenia Jashemski – Revealing 2014 vine root cavities from a large commercial vineyard near the Pompeian Amphitheatre with a room functioning for wine pressing and a shed for storage • Discovery of wine presses torcular which worked by pressing down on an arm lever to press the grapes (Such as that found in the Villa of the Mysteries) • Pliny the Elder Natural History 3.40-3.60 – “From this bay onwards you find vine-growing hills and a noble tipple of wine famed throughout the world.” • Storage Jars (Dolia) as well as fermentation rooms have also been found in the Villa of the Mysteries Bacchus and Mount Vesuvius from the Lararium of ‘The House of the Centenary’ Pompeii

  5. Evidence of Olive Oil • Pliny the Elder Natural History 3.40-3.60 – “Nowhere do olives produce more olive oil” • Findings of a trapetum (rooms where olive oil was produced) which consisted of a circular basin with two mill wheels and a torcular (wine press also used to press olives) • Stone presses used for oil production have been found in farmhouses and houses such as The House of the Painted Capitals • Cato (Roman Politician) recommends Pompeian oil presses as the best • Timber wedge presses used for extracting oil for perfume shown in a wall painting from the House of the Vettii Olive Press

  6. Industries Fishing Industry • An important industry in the Campanian region • In particularly utilised for Garum (Fish Sauce) Production • Evidence of the Fishing Industry • Findings in Herculaneum - Fishing nets, hooks, fishing gear and an overturned boat • Bronze tools for mending nets were also found • Structures – Boat houses • Port of Pompeii being under a kilometre from the town centre • 20 warehouses on a narrow strip of land contains weights for anchoring boats and fishing gear

  7. Industries Garum Industry • Main condiments used for flavouring Roman cuisine • Various flavours depending on the type and quality of the fish used along with the method of preparation • Made from the guts of fish and other parts including gills, intestines and blood • Evidence of Garum • Pliny the Elder Natural History – “No other liquid except unguents has come to be so highly valued” • Archaeologists’ Anglo American Project – discovery of a house containing several fish tanks with an intact fish skeleton • Geoponica XX describes how Garum was made Garum Sauce Container from the House of Scaurus, Pompeii

  8. Industries Wool and Textiles (Cloth manufacturing and treatment) • An important industry in the Campanian region • Associated with laundering, bleaching and re-colouring of clothes carried out in workshops known as fullonicae (laundries) which contained a number of interconnecting basins and tanks for washing and rinsing • Wool was used to make slippers, hats, blankets and cloaks and was processed by using heated vinegar and then pushed and pressed • Evidence of Wool and Textiles in the Region • Many Fullonicae found scattered around the town including The Fullery of Stephanus • Breeding of sheep • Seneca Natural Questions VI 3 – Mentions that a flock of sheep was killed by the earthquake • A carbonised wooden clothes press discovered in a shop attached to the House of the Wooden Partition in Herculaneum which was 2 metres high and half a metre wide • A piece of ancient cloth found in a cloth merchant’s shop in Herculaneum

  9. Fulling Process in wall painting from the ‘Fullery of L. Veranius Hypsaeus’

  10. Industries Bakeries (Pistrina) • Bakeries milled the grain into flour and baked to create bread • Mills were composed of three parts and turned by donkeys or mules • Once bread was baked they were dispatched to shops for selling as only a few bakeries sold their own bread • Evidence of Bakeries • Discoveries of over 30 bakeries • In the Bakery of Modestus , 81 loaves of bread were found still on the oven • Mills found throughout the cities • Bakery of N. Popidius Priscus was found to have four mills, an oven and kneading troughs • Skeletons of donkeys have been found nearby the mills in the Bakery of Sectus Patulcus Felix Baker’s Oven

  11. Mill in a Pompeii Bakery

  12. Carbonised Loaf of Bread

  13. Industries

  14. Commerce Food and Drink Outlets/Bars/Taverns (Dining) • Taverns provided customers tables and chairs along with a form of accommodation • Bars (Outlets) were small and provided food and drink but usually no seating or accommodation as food was usually taken away or eaten while standing up • Both taverns and bars often involved gambling, drunkenness and prostitution • Evidence • A large Snack bar (thermopolia) found in Herculaneum opposite the Palaestra had two entrances, 8 jugs inserted into its counter, a stove behind the counter with dishes in terracotta casseroles over a charcoal fire and other objects including jugs and amphorae used for oil or sauce • Wine bars and taverns in Pompeii (cauponae) found clustered near the amphitheatre found to have benches in back rooms for clients • The Tavern of Asellina found to have rooms upstairs functioning as accommodation A Food Bar at Herculaneum

  15. Commerce Markets • Administered by Aediles • Markets located on both sides of the Forum in Pompeii • Temporary markets occurred once a week in the Forum and fresh fruit and vegetables, spices, perfume, shoes, flowers and food were sold • The Marcellum • Market on the north-east side of the Forum • Specialised in selling fish and meat along with fruit and vegetables • A pool believed to carry live fish was in the centre – suggesting that at the market fish mongers cleaned, filtered and sold their catch • On the other side of the Forum, a market sold dried cereals to both individuals and bakeries and was found with a weighing table • Evidence of Markets/Features of Markets • Numerous Fish scales and bones have been found in the underground channel connecting the Marcellum pool to the sewers

  16. Commerce Hotels • Many hotels have been found close to the port or within the city • Evidence of Hotels • Hostel of the Muses: • Discovered on the bank of the Sarno • A view over the sea • Consisted of a small jetty, banqueting areas • A large kitchen • Hotels inside the Herculaneum and Stabian Gates • Dining rooms • Bedrooms • Stables • A water trough • Shed for wagons • Inscription: “Inn to let. Triclinium with three couches.”

  17. Occupations • Inscriptions and electoral graffiti identify occupations including: • Architects • Harvesters • Onion Growers • Fruiterers • Restaurateurs • Gold workers • Salt workers • Well-diggers • Wheelwrights • Woodmen • Porters • Scent makers • Carpenters • Soldiers • Gladiators • Judges • Musicians and Actors • Plumbers • Stonemasons • Bricklayers • Tilers and Mosaic layers

  18. Trades • Exports • Wine was exported from Pompeii • Small numbers of Amphorae, tiles and fish containers have been found beyond Italy (but trade was believed to be minimal) • Imports • Garum – from Spain (Only 70% was produced in the region) • Varieties of wine and oil – from Spain, Sicily and Crete • Pottery – from Spain and Gaul • Furniture – from Naples • Lamps – from Alexandria • The Port • Most of the trading would have been done by sea • In the found 20 warehouses were amphorae and a statue of Neptune, god of the sea where departing sailors made sacrifices • General Evidence • Paintings of Cargo boats with porters carrying products loaded onto vessels

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