Naples – Thirteen terracotta statuettesTraces of a ancient rite, They arise in Pompeii from a domus environment on the edge of the House of Leda and the Swan, where excavations, restoration and enhancement work are currently underway.
The small sculptures, each about 15 cm, as reported in the e-journal of the Pompeii excavations, are predominant Umane figurebut there is also a walnut, an almond, a clay rooster head and a glass pine cone.
They were upright on a horizontal surface in a room that probably had a shelf in it. The statuettes protruded from the lapillus at a height of more than 2 meters from the ground.
The environment that preserved them, probably theAtrium of the housealso featured some decorations that had appeared on the upper part of the walls for the time being.
© Pompeii Archaeological Park
The surroundings of the Pompeii Domus where the statues were found
From the initial studies it appears that some themes relate to the Myth of Cybele and Attisassociated with the life cycle of the seasons and the fertility of the earth and therefore with the spring equinox.
The ongoing construction site concerns already known environments of the House of Leda (which were brought to light between 2018 and 2019 as part of the works envisaged within the Great Pompeii Project) and those of two unidentified domus that are developing to the north south of Ledas A house.
During the removal phase of the earth still present in some rooms, this will reach down to the level of the floor, a Rooms with fine frescoes where 4 roundels with female faces of refined elegance stand out.
The aim of the excavations is to make the excavation fronts unsafe (border between already excavated structures and unexcavated areas) and to protect and preserve the decorative elements, also with a view to public use of the complex.
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