DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Majcherek, Grzegorz: Kom el-Dikka: excavations 1995-1996
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41241#0028
plaster. The holes for fixing a wooden door frame are still clearly
seen. Since there were no traces of direct communication with the
previously described chamber, this small room must have served as
a narrow antechamber leading to the next room no. 14. The room
was embellished with marble wall veneering, of which some
remains were still preserved on the walls.
Adjacent room no. 14 was found to be quite sumptuously
decorated. The floor was paved with large marble slabs (1.20 x
1.10 m), while the centre was additionally decorated with a two-
coloured opus sectile panel featuring a rectangle framed by
a narrow band of porphyry tiles. The frame, comprising four
inverted triangles, surrounded a central square encompassing
a circular tile of porphyry. The whole design made for
a conspicuous decorative composition based on vividly contrasting
colours: red porphyry and white marble. The lower fragments of
the surrounding walls were covered with marble tiles.
It was ascertained, however, that marble wall veneering was
applied only in the second phase of decoration. Remnants of the
earlier decorative system survived on some sections of the wall.
The bottom black-painted socle was surmounted with plain
rectangular painted panels of varied colours; yellow, red and black.
The panels were separated by narrow, light-green stripes. This
arrangement closely recalls the so called Masonry Style (First
Pompeian style) of wall decoration, examples of which have been
previously discovered in the Early Roman house H (habitation
quarter east of R4 street).5
The precise chronology of both decorative styles recognised
in room no. 14 is not available at this stage of research; small
underfloor test pits scheduled for the next season will certainly
5 G. Majcherek, Notes on Alexandrian habitat, Roman and Byzantine
houses from Kom el-Dikka, TOllOI vol. 5/1 (1995), pp.137; for other
examples of similar decoration from Alexandria cf. A. Adriani, Annuaire du
Musee Greco-Romain III, (1940-50), pp. 107-115, figs. 35-36.
26
seen. Since there were no traces of direct communication with the
previously described chamber, this small room must have served as
a narrow antechamber leading to the next room no. 14. The room
was embellished with marble wall veneering, of which some
remains were still preserved on the walls.
Adjacent room no. 14 was found to be quite sumptuously
decorated. The floor was paved with large marble slabs (1.20 x
1.10 m), while the centre was additionally decorated with a two-
coloured opus sectile panel featuring a rectangle framed by
a narrow band of porphyry tiles. The frame, comprising four
inverted triangles, surrounded a central square encompassing
a circular tile of porphyry. The whole design made for
a conspicuous decorative composition based on vividly contrasting
colours: red porphyry and white marble. The lower fragments of
the surrounding walls were covered with marble tiles.
It was ascertained, however, that marble wall veneering was
applied only in the second phase of decoration. Remnants of the
earlier decorative system survived on some sections of the wall.
The bottom black-painted socle was surmounted with plain
rectangular painted panels of varied colours; yellow, red and black.
The panels were separated by narrow, light-green stripes. This
arrangement closely recalls the so called Masonry Style (First
Pompeian style) of wall decoration, examples of which have been
previously discovered in the Early Roman house H (habitation
quarter east of R4 street).5
The precise chronology of both decorative styles recognised
in room no. 14 is not available at this stage of research; small
underfloor test pits scheduled for the next season will certainly
5 G. Majcherek, Notes on Alexandrian habitat, Roman and Byzantine
houses from Kom el-Dikka, TOllOI vol. 5/1 (1995), pp.137; for other
examples of similar decoration from Alexandria cf. A. Adriani, Annuaire du
Musee Greco-Romain III, (1940-50), pp. 107-115, figs. 35-36.
26