Doors in Domestic Space at Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Preliminary Study

A preliminary study challenges the long-held perception of Pompeian and Herculanean atrium houses as primarily social spaces, revealing instead that their doors played a crucial role in organizing domestic activities. Contrary to the traditional view that these structures were highly decorated but functionally empty, the research suggests that door placement and design reflected practical needs for privacy, circulation, and spatial division within households. By analyzing architectural patterns and door configurations across multiple sites, the study proposes that domestic space was more functionally integrated than previously assumed, with doors serving as key elements in structuring daily life rather than merely signaling social status.

Lauritsen, M. T. (2011). Doors in Domestic Space at Pompeii and Herculaneum: A Preliminary Study . Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal, 0(2010), 59. https://doi.org/10.16995/trac2010_59_75