DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52049#0342
RESUME (C. Lang-Auinger)
This volume comprises the publication of the objects found in Terrace House 1, many of which were brought to light already in the 1960’s. It
begins with the findspots, in order to enhance our knowledge of the function of the different rooms in the complex. The finds are then pre-
sented in relation to the various construction phases.
The ceramic finds from the well in SR 9 (pp. 22ff.) provide evidence for the earliest use of the site, which goes back to about 200 B.C., maybe
even to the end of the 3rd Century B.C.
Considering the expanse of the residential units, and the size and layout of the rooms, we may expect evidence for the high social Status of the
residents, members of the elite, who occupied the Terrace House 1 from late Hellenistic to Roman imperial times. Indeed, this is documented
impressively by the spectrum of the ceramic finds.
LATE HELLENISTIC PERISTYLE HOUSE (Plan 1)
The rooms on the ground floor were more or less uniform in their basic decoration. There is evidence for walls painted white, and for simple
floors of tamped earth in rooms 1,2,3,4,7 and 8. The peristyle court was paved with slabs of local schist. Room 1’, on the first floor, featured
only a simple white tesselated floor and white walls. Only in the debris that filled rooms 2 and 8 were a few fragments of wall paintings found.
There is no evidence of decoration for the rooms in the northem part. Only a few small fragments of wall paintings were found in the levelled
debris, some with representations of an egg-and-dart moulding and a dentil frieze, along with one figural scene.
In room 1, west of the entrance, the pillar M 2 was found lying as it feil on a platform-like Installation made of broken pieces of marble. Ori-
ginally, the pillar stood on the Capital M 3 which was reused here as a base. This platform was obviously part of a locale which served as a
work place. Combining this evidence with the simple floor of tamped earth mixed with ash, Room 1 obviously served as a workshop. Fürther
evidence for this function are provided by the small storage vessels K 1-4, which were used to hold small quantities of food, indicating a
store-room or a kitchen. Finally, a stone weight M 4 and a simple cruce of lead B 13 should be mentioned. The ceramic finds consisted of
fragments of amphoras, cooking wäre and coarse wäre.
In summary, the ground floor of the late Hellenistic peristyle house can be visualized as follows: the rooms in the south, along the rock wall,
were used as store-rooms. Their rear wall of bedrock, and their floors of tamped earth, kept them cool. The scant illumination of the comer
rooms 3 and 8 also points to store-rooms, as do the numerous fragments of amphoras from room 8, and the pit for a storage vessel in room 3.
Rooms 1, 3 and 8 are the only rooms of the ground floor which allow such an Interpretation.
Room 1 ’, on the first floor, had white walls like the rooms on the ground floor, but its floor was covered with large white tesserae. The fumi-
ture consisted of the table M 1 A-E (its legs restored several times in antiquity), numerous terracottas TK 3-18, a thymiaterion and possibly
the weight M 4. There is no evidence for sculptural decoration.
Remarkable are the terracottas which were probably displayed as an ensemble on the table, änd belong to the world of Aphrodite and Eros
(pls. 122ff. and 160). The ceramic finds consist above all of tableware and lamps.
For rooms 2’ and 7’ on the first floor, a remarkable group of finds can be assembled. Room 7’ attracts attention because of its sculptural de-
coration. The statue of Aphrodite untying her sandal S 1 (beside the small torso of Asclepios S 2, the only marble sculpture found in the pe-
ristyle house) and the head of Asclepios TK 23, the only terrracotta of this size, were found in this room. The knob B 27, made of rock-
crystal, and the weight decorated with a relief of two reclining boys M 7, are two of the most remarkable finds from the excavations at Ephe-
sos. Room 7’, like Room 1 ’, was fumished for leisure or social events. In room 2’, on the other hand, three terracottas, TK 19, 20 and 21, are
noteworthy because of their connection to the world of children, and hint of the presence of children in this household.
The numerous masks TK 17, 36, 37, 72, 91 and the bull’s-head protome TK 74 can be interpreted as wall decoration in the rooms painted
white, or the peristyle court. They were fastened as decorative elements to the walls in combination with garlands, or fixed above the doors as
apotropaic masks.
The gold ring B 30 with an aquamarine stone was found in the canal in the peristyle court, which was used as a drain for rain water.
The display of the hero-relief TK 27 (pl. 163) was already planned at the time of the house’s construction, for an area which was accessible to
visitors and guests and could not be locked like the private rooms. Set in a niche in the south corridor of the courtyard, at a height of 3 m above
the floor, the hero, mounted on his horse, looked down upon the scene in the courtyard. He acted as protector of the household and watched
the comings and goings. Due to its position at such a height, the niche was clearly not designed for decorative purposes. The need for protec-
tion against disease was met by the Asclepios terracotta TK 23.
The iron finds B 10-12 from the upper layers of the debris fill are tools with long handles which were used to remove inflammable or valuable
material from a source of fire.
The scant sculptural decoration in marble Stands in sharp contrast to an abundance of terracottas. The two marble sculptures S 1 and S 2 do
not exceed the small format of the terracottas. The only bronze find, a fragment of an animal’s leg (B 31), is probably part of the handle of a
vessel.
The complete evidence indicates that daily work took place on the ground floor, social life on the first floor. Compared to the later domus,
however, the peristyle house leaves only a modest impression.
DOMUS (Plan 1 und 2)
A program for the domus can be descemed from its layout, the monumental scale of its architecture, and the decoration of its walls and floors.
Apart from A and C, all rooms were decorated with wall and floor revetments of marble. The finds, too, emphasize the function as reception
rooms. It is a demonstration of prosperity, even if the decoration is in some parts of inferior quality. Nevertheless, the overall impression is ho-
334
This volume comprises the publication of the objects found in Terrace House 1, many of which were brought to light already in the 1960’s. It
begins with the findspots, in order to enhance our knowledge of the function of the different rooms in the complex. The finds are then pre-
sented in relation to the various construction phases.
The ceramic finds from the well in SR 9 (pp. 22ff.) provide evidence for the earliest use of the site, which goes back to about 200 B.C., maybe
even to the end of the 3rd Century B.C.
Considering the expanse of the residential units, and the size and layout of the rooms, we may expect evidence for the high social Status of the
residents, members of the elite, who occupied the Terrace House 1 from late Hellenistic to Roman imperial times. Indeed, this is documented
impressively by the spectrum of the ceramic finds.
LATE HELLENISTIC PERISTYLE HOUSE (Plan 1)
The rooms on the ground floor were more or less uniform in their basic decoration. There is evidence for walls painted white, and for simple
floors of tamped earth in rooms 1,2,3,4,7 and 8. The peristyle court was paved with slabs of local schist. Room 1’, on the first floor, featured
only a simple white tesselated floor and white walls. Only in the debris that filled rooms 2 and 8 were a few fragments of wall paintings found.
There is no evidence of decoration for the rooms in the northem part. Only a few small fragments of wall paintings were found in the levelled
debris, some with representations of an egg-and-dart moulding and a dentil frieze, along with one figural scene.
In room 1, west of the entrance, the pillar M 2 was found lying as it feil on a platform-like Installation made of broken pieces of marble. Ori-
ginally, the pillar stood on the Capital M 3 which was reused here as a base. This platform was obviously part of a locale which served as a
work place. Combining this evidence with the simple floor of tamped earth mixed with ash, Room 1 obviously served as a workshop. Fürther
evidence for this function are provided by the small storage vessels K 1-4, which were used to hold small quantities of food, indicating a
store-room or a kitchen. Finally, a stone weight M 4 and a simple cruce of lead B 13 should be mentioned. The ceramic finds consisted of
fragments of amphoras, cooking wäre and coarse wäre.
In summary, the ground floor of the late Hellenistic peristyle house can be visualized as follows: the rooms in the south, along the rock wall,
were used as store-rooms. Their rear wall of bedrock, and their floors of tamped earth, kept them cool. The scant illumination of the comer
rooms 3 and 8 also points to store-rooms, as do the numerous fragments of amphoras from room 8, and the pit for a storage vessel in room 3.
Rooms 1, 3 and 8 are the only rooms of the ground floor which allow such an Interpretation.
Room 1 ’, on the first floor, had white walls like the rooms on the ground floor, but its floor was covered with large white tesserae. The fumi-
ture consisted of the table M 1 A-E (its legs restored several times in antiquity), numerous terracottas TK 3-18, a thymiaterion and possibly
the weight M 4. There is no evidence for sculptural decoration.
Remarkable are the terracottas which were probably displayed as an ensemble on the table, änd belong to the world of Aphrodite and Eros
(pls. 122ff. and 160). The ceramic finds consist above all of tableware and lamps.
For rooms 2’ and 7’ on the first floor, a remarkable group of finds can be assembled. Room 7’ attracts attention because of its sculptural de-
coration. The statue of Aphrodite untying her sandal S 1 (beside the small torso of Asclepios S 2, the only marble sculpture found in the pe-
ristyle house) and the head of Asclepios TK 23, the only terrracotta of this size, were found in this room. The knob B 27, made of rock-
crystal, and the weight decorated with a relief of two reclining boys M 7, are two of the most remarkable finds from the excavations at Ephe-
sos. Room 7’, like Room 1 ’, was fumished for leisure or social events. In room 2’, on the other hand, three terracottas, TK 19, 20 and 21, are
noteworthy because of their connection to the world of children, and hint of the presence of children in this household.
The numerous masks TK 17, 36, 37, 72, 91 and the bull’s-head protome TK 74 can be interpreted as wall decoration in the rooms painted
white, or the peristyle court. They were fastened as decorative elements to the walls in combination with garlands, or fixed above the doors as
apotropaic masks.
The gold ring B 30 with an aquamarine stone was found in the canal in the peristyle court, which was used as a drain for rain water.
The display of the hero-relief TK 27 (pl. 163) was already planned at the time of the house’s construction, for an area which was accessible to
visitors and guests and could not be locked like the private rooms. Set in a niche in the south corridor of the courtyard, at a height of 3 m above
the floor, the hero, mounted on his horse, looked down upon the scene in the courtyard. He acted as protector of the household and watched
the comings and goings. Due to its position at such a height, the niche was clearly not designed for decorative purposes. The need for protec-
tion against disease was met by the Asclepios terracotta TK 23.
The iron finds B 10-12 from the upper layers of the debris fill are tools with long handles which were used to remove inflammable or valuable
material from a source of fire.
The scant sculptural decoration in marble Stands in sharp contrast to an abundance of terracottas. The two marble sculptures S 1 and S 2 do
not exceed the small format of the terracottas. The only bronze find, a fragment of an animal’s leg (B 31), is probably part of the handle of a
vessel.
The complete evidence indicates that daily work took place on the ground floor, social life on the first floor. Compared to the later domus,
however, the peristyle house leaves only a modest impression.
DOMUS (Plan 1 und 2)
A program for the domus can be descemed from its layout, the monumental scale of its architecture, and the decoration of its walls and floors.
Apart from A and C, all rooms were decorated with wall and floor revetments of marble. The finds, too, emphasize the function as reception
rooms. It is a demonstration of prosperity, even if the decoration is in some parts of inferior quality. Nevertheless, the overall impression is ho-
334
