Visitors, inhabitants, space and power in the Pompeian house
This dissertation explains the internal workings of Pompeian domestic space in terms of the activities of daily life and the architectural spaces designed to contain, control, and condition them. It examines spatial, visual and power relationships between visitors and inhabitants within the ancient built environment. The phenomenological effects caused by architecture played a much more significant role in the conduct of social relationships, the implementation of power and the coordination of daily life than has been recognised previously. This study approaches the Pompeian house as a cultural artefact that preserves the decisions, priorities and daily life of its inhabitants. That the house played such a dynamic role in the social life of ancient Romans is well documented by the ancient sources. It was a power base and centre of political operations, the public image of its inhabitants, and the locus for most social interactions between its owner and the outside world. At the same time, archaeological remains testify that the houses in Pompeii were filled with a variety of humble activities involving the daily routines of slaves or servants, household production, provisioning and maintenance. Spatio-visual
Anderson, M. A.
Visitors, inhabitants, space and power in the Pompeian house. This dissertation explains the internal workings of Pompeian domestic space in terms of the activities of daily life and the architectural spaces designed to contain, control, and condition them. It examines spatial, visual and power relationships between visitors and inhabitants within the ancient built environment. The phenomenological effects caused by architecture played a much more significant role in the conduct of social relationships, the implementation of power and the coordination of daily life than has been recognised previously. This study approaches the Pompeian house as a cultural artefact that preserves the decisions, priorities and daily life of its inhabitants. That the house played such a dynamic role in the social life of ancient Romans is well documented by the ancient sources. It was a power base and centre of political operations, the public image of its inhabitants, and the locus for most social interactions between its owner and the outside world. At the same time, archaeological remains testify that the houses in Pompeii were filled with a variety of humble activities involving the daily routines of slaves or servants, household production, provisioning and maintenance. Spatio-visual
inhabitant space power house explain internal working domestic_space term activity daily_life architectural space design contain control_condition them examines spatial visual power relationship visitor inhabitant within ancient build_environment phenomenological effect cause architecture play much significant_role conduct social_relationship implementation power coordination daily_life recognise previously study approach house cultural_artefact preserve decision priority daily_life inhabitant house play dynamic role social_life ancient romans well_document ancient_source power base centre political operation public image inhabitant locus social_interaction owner outside_world time archaeological_remain testify house pompeii fill variety humble activity_involve daily routine slave servant household production provision maintenance visual