New Pompeii Excavations Reveal Decorated “Tiny House”

Archaeologists at Pompeii recently unearthed an atypical ancient Roman dwelling. Deemed the House of Phaedra for the contents of its murals, it makes up for its small size with its sumptuous interior decorating, shedding new light on how Pompeiians showed off their wealth and style.

The unusually small residential unit was found during ongoing excavations at Pompeii‘s Amanti Island insula. Despite its diminutive size, the Pompeiian “tiny house” was decorated with well-preserved fresco paintings that are just as extravagant and detailed as those in wealthier villas nearby. It has been provisionally named the House of Phaedra, as one of the frescoes depicts a scene from the ancient myth of Hippolytus and Phaedra.

Many of the murals feature erotic scenes, including an embrace between a nymph and a satyr and a couple believed to be Adonis and Venus. Another more damaged mural depicts the Judgment of Paris. A domestic altar, found at the house’s entrance, was painted with birds of prey, sparrows, snakes, and plants. Like many Pompeiian buildings that have since been excavated, the House of Phaedra is believed to have been undergoing construction work when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE.

Ancient Roman Atriums in Pompeii

Pompeii’s House of Phaedra is notable because it was not constructed around an atrium. In ancient Rome, this was considered an essential feature of a wealthy person’s home. The atrium was an open courtyard at the entrance of a home encircled by a series of small rooms and columns. It was both ornamental and functional, showcasing the home’s most magnificent murals while serving as an important reception and ceremonial space. The atrium was also used to collect rainwater in a decorative basin called an impluvium.

The House of Phaedra is “a peculiarity considering that, despite the small size of the mansion, it would not have been impossible to insert a small atrium with a classic bathtub and shower for collecting rainwater,” said the Pompeii archaeologists in a recent statement. This new discovery proved that a home’s small size and lack of atrium did not necessarily prevent its residents from showing off their wealth and good taste. “More than an atrium, it was clothes and jewels that were beginning to show status. Having no atrium was starting to be a choice, and we see that trend emerging at Pompeii,” Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, told The Times.

According to the Pompeii archaeologists, ongoing construction and excavation work at the site’s Amanti Island insula is as crucial as it is complex. Zuchtriegel explained, “This is an example of public archaeology or, as I prefer to call it, circular archaeology—conservation, research, management, accessibility, and results form a virtuous circle. Excavating and restoring under the eyes of visitors, but also publishing the data online on our e-journal and on the pompeiisites.org platform means…full transparency regarding what we do, not for the good of a small circle of scholars, but for everyone.”