13 TERRACOTTA FIGURINES EMERGE FROM THE PUMICE DURING THE EXCAVATION OF A DOMUS NORTH OF THE HOUSE OF LEDA AND THE SWAN
The tradition of nativity scenes dates back to more recent history, yet traces of ritual arrangements in houses are known from ancient times. 13 terracotta figurines, the remains of an ancient ritual, emerge from a room of a domus bordering the House of Leda and the swan, where an excavation and conservation are currently underway alongside a programme to improve accessibility and understanding of the site. The small sculptures of about 15 cm in height – as reported in the E-journal of the Pompeii excavations https://pompeiisites.org/e-journal-degli-scavi-di-pompei/ – among which one can recognise human figures, but also a walnut, an almond, the head of a rooster in clay and a glass pine cone were found in a room in an upright position on a horizontal plane where a shelf was probably affixed. The sculptures emerged from the pumice at a height of over 2 metres above the floor level. The walls of room that contained them, probably the atrium of the house, were painted and frescoes have emerged on the upper part of the walls. …Read more