Herculaneum Tombs. Columbarium.

Ercolano Tombe. Colombario.

Herculaneum-Gräber. Kolumbarium.

Des Tombeaux trouvés à Herculanum. Columbarium.

Columbarium tomb (of Gens Nonia? or Gens Pontia?).

Plan of Herculaneum by F. La Vega, 1796.

La Vega marks two “Sepulcretum” (§) on the south-east side of the city, on this plan.

See Ruggiero M., 1885. Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su' documenti superstiti, Tav II (inset).

According to Waldstein –

“Of the Tombs of Herculaneum little need be said.

Omitting four funeral inscriptions on marble in the Museo Nazionale, (Note 3), the exact provenance of which is unknown, we have only notices by Weber (Note 4), Bellicard (with a plan), (Note 5), and Gori, (Note 6), all probably referring, as Ruggiero (Note 7) holds, to a single discovery (a subterranean family vault, apparently of the Nonian family). This tomb seems to have lain under the farm Moscardino, which then perhaps covered a wider extent of ground than now, in the place where La Vega marks his “Sepulcretum”.  It was divided into niches, and had names, (Note 9), inscribed above in vermilion. Urns with clay lids were found entire. The tomb was rectangular and was entered by a staircase.

Some urns were also found above this tomb at a higher level.”

See Waldstein, C. (1908). Herculaneum, past present and future, Part 1, (p.78).

Note 3: Nos. 3756, 3757, 3758, 3759.

Note 4: Between November 1750 and February 1751; Ruggiero, Scavi, etc, p. xxxvii.

Note 5: In Cochin and Bellicard, Observations sur les antiquités de la ville d’Herculanum (Bellicard’s account was written in 1750).

             See Ruggiero, Scavi di Ercolano, p.256, and Tav. VIII.22.

Note 6: Symbolae Litterariae, Decadis II. Vol. ii. Letter 23, Rome, 1751.

Note 7: Scavi, etc, p.xxxvii.

Note 8: Ruggiero, Scavi, etc., Tav. II. In corner; Plate 11 in this book.

Note 9: Cf. C.I.L. x. I. 1473-75.

Columbarium, as described by Ruggiero, 1885.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p. XXXVII).

Columbarium, as described by Ruggiero, 1885.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p. XXXVIII).

Tav. VIII, fig.2, drawing of Columbarium by Ruggiero, 1885.

(Note this is shown a different way round from the drawings below by Bellicard and Barker.)

Fig. 1 shows the Augusteum.

Fig. 3 shows the ceiling at Ins. Or. II.4/19.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. Tav VIII.

Herculaneum Columbarium. Plan published in 1908 by Ethel Barker after earlier plans by La Vega and Dall’Osso.

The Columbarium is shown as number 9 on the plan.

According to Pagano and Prisciandaro –

28^th Feb 1750 –

“A Resina fuori la masseria Bisogna si è scoperto un piccolo ambiente, che era il deposito dei morti di quella casa, nella quale (si è fatto il disegno) si vedono otto piccolo nicchie, in ognuna delle quali vi è una urna con coperchio contenente ossa bruciate. Sopra le suddette nicchie si leggono i seguenti nomi scritti con vernice rossa……..” (See Diario, p.279; mancano nel CIL).

7 Aprile 1750 – (Martorelli al Gori – vedi sotto, De Jorio,) –

1.   M(arcus) Nonius L. (?) – CIL X 1473.

2.   M(arcus) Nonius/VIII Men(enia) – CIL X 1474

3.   L(ucius) Sulla L (?) – CIL X 1475

See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli. Naples: Nicola Longobardi, (P.206).

These inscriptions were assumed to refer to freedmen of the Nonius Balbo family.

However, according to Wallace-Hadrill, writing of Nonius Balbus –

“One of the clearest traces he leaves of his importance is the survival of his name in the next generations.

Whether he had a son, we do not know, but every time an owner formally freed a slave, so making him a Roman citizen, the slave took his first two names, the praenomen (Marcus) and the nomen (Nonius).

We meet endless men named Marcus Nonius in the next generations in Herculaneum ………………………….

Twenty five can be counted on one inscription alone, the great album of 500 names, and adding in witnesses from documents raises the score to fifty.

No single name occurs so frequently in the town as M. Nonius.”

See Wallace-Hadrill, A. (2011). Herculaneum, Past and Future. Frances Lincoln Ltd., U.K. London, (p. 134).

According to De Kind, the cinerary urns in the niches of the vaulted space had names in red letters on them, not of the gens Nonia, as can be inferred from the text in CIL X 1473, 1474 and 1475, but probably of the gens Pontia.

See De Kind, R. E. L. B., 1998. Houses in Herculaneum: A New View on the Town Planning and the Building of Insulae III and IV, Circumvesuviana Vol. 1. Amsterdam: Brill, p. 57.

According to the Epigraphic Database Roma

Ercolano (Napoli), presso la masseria de Bisogno (forse a sud est della città), colombario (con otto nicchie contenenti olle) (febbr. 1750)

On the columbarium tomb wall painted in red were

⌜N⌝on[i]a⌜e⌝s
Fa[u]stil⌜l⌝ae      [EDR143267]

- Noniaes Faustillae –

Traditur: HONLAFS / FASISTILIAE; intende 'probabilmente Pontiae Faustillae'

M(arci) Noni
Salvi      [CIL X, 1473]

- M. Nonius L(---) was an incorrect reading of Apr. 1750, due to haste, admitted by Martorelli himself.

M(arcus) Pontius
VIII I I Men(enia?)      [CIL X, 1474]

The original inscription reading M. NONIUS / VIII MEN), which reports the reading of Martorelli, done, as the author confesses, in 'haste'.

M(arcus) Pontius
Ph(i)largurus      [EDR143295]

Pontia[e]
matri      [EDR143296]

Columbarium, as drawn by Bellicard in 1753.

According to Bellicard –

“The plan of these buildings was communicated to me, together with that of the Theatre, of which I have already spoken, but the dimensions seemed to me to be so uncertain, that I will no longer insist upon the subject. This is not the case with the tombs designed in Plate XVIII. The principal dimensions I took with great exactness; and indeed, I have omitted nothing of what I saw, being resolved to communicate this monument to the public. Thereby conveying a just idea of an antiquity, which perhaps no longer exists.”

See Bellicard, J.C. (c,1753-4). Observations upon the antiquities of the town of Herculaneum. 1754, (Pl. XVIII, opp. P.39, and p. 38-39).

He continued –

1750 description of the tombs found at Herculaneum.

Bellicard, J.C. (c,1753-4). Observations upon the antiquities of the town of Herculaneum. (p. 40).

Of the tombs found at Herculaneum.

Bellicard, J.C. (c,1753-4). Observations upon the antiquities of the town of Herculaneum. (p. 41).

Of the tombs found at Herculaneum.

Bellicard, J.C. (c,1753-4). Observations upon the antiquities of the town of Herculaneum. (p. 42).

Of the tombs found at Herculaneum.

Bellicard, J.C. (c,1753-4). Observations upon the antiquities of the town of Herculaneum. (p. 43).

Of the tombs found at Herculaneum.

Bellicard, J.C. (c,1753-4). Observations upon the antiquities of the town of Herculaneum. (p. 44).

Columbarium, drawing published in 1908 by Barker, after Cochin and Bellicard, 1754.

According to Barker –

“The Columbarium (Note 1: Bellicard described this in 1750. Weber’s description of November 17, 1750, probably refers to the same building.)

In 1750, while digging at Moscardino to the south-east of the Theatre, the workmen were suddenly stopped by a wall, with another wall, adorned with pilasters, running at right angles to it.

They pierced the wall and found themselves in an underground vaulted room, (Note 2: see Plan 9 above), entered by a ladder and measuring 12 by 9 feet (3.6 by 2.7 metres). Round the room was a bench, 3 feet (0.9 metres) in height, and in it nine niches for cinerary urns; some of these were found in position and some were still covered with lids of earthenware. Against one of the walls was a little altar.

Over three of the urns we read in rude letters that here was the last resting place of the Nonius family. (see Chap. XVI).

The building is obviously a Columbarium very similar to some in the neighbourhood of Rome, though much smaller.”

See Barker, E.R. (1908). Buried Herculaneum. (p.105, plan 9, and p.106-107).

According to De Jorio –

“Sepolcri.

Leggiamo in Gori (Note 1, p.41: Lettera 23 Napoli 7 Aprile 1750), un’articolo su di un sepolcro rinvenuto in Ercolano, che a me sembra uno degli oggetti oltremodo interessanti, anche per le presenti felicissime circostanze. (Note 2: Non troviamo altra notizia che di questo solo sepolcro rinvenuto negli scavi della città di Ercolano; e come mai possiamo persuaderci che non ve ne fossero degli altri? O questo apparteneva al Sepolcreto della città, e non era certamente il solo; o era particolare de’ liberti della famiglia Nonia, e piantata in qualche sito distinto, e questo non esclude l’esistenza del cimitero pubblico. Forse gli accademici n’ebbero qualche sentore, e perciò nella loro pianta si legge Sepulcretum.)

Ecco l’articolo per intero –

“Fui di nuovo giovedì a Portici; e vidi altri nuovi quadri trovati a Stabia. In Ercolano si è trovato un sepolcreto, o Colombario intero, e negli Ollarj vi sono i vasi cinerarj colle iscrizioni de’ nomi in rosso, e sono la maggiore parte della famiglia Nonia. Questo colombario è largo, e lungo circa palmi sette colla volta proporzionale, con una scaletta da lato. Vi era un’ara: Sopra i loculi delle olle cinerarie intere co’ coperchi era scritto, come ho detto, di minio il nome per lo più de’ liberti; per la fretta ne lessi tre, ed erano sette le olle di questo loculo”.

Il colombario dimostra che colla finiva Ercolano, che era là i termini delle sue mura.”

Non è questo il luogo da fare delle osservazioni sulle riflessioni dell’autore della lettera, perciò me ne astengo; ma mi rimetto a quanto ho scritto su questa materia in altra occasione. (Note 1, p.42: Vedi il nostro Metodo per rinvenire a frugare i Sepolcri degli antiche. Cochin ne dà la pianta, e lo spaccato, ma non essendovi cosa di particolare, non ho creduto ripeterla.”

See De Jorio, A. (1827). Notizie su gli scavi di Ercolano. (p. 42-43).

Description in French, published by Bellicard

Des Tombeaux trouvés à Herculanum.

1750 description in French by Bellicard published by Ruggiero.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti, (p.526).

Des Tombeaux trouvés à Herculanum.

1750 description in French by Bellicard published by Ruggiero.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti, (p.526).

Des Tombeaux trouvés à Herculanum.

1750 description in French by Bellicard published by Ruggiero.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti, (p.527).

Reports by Karl Weber.

January 1760 report by Karl Weber.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p.301).

January 1760 report by Karl Weber.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p.302)

Report of Karl Weber, November 1750.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p.111)

Report of Karl Weber, January 1751.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p.112)

Report of Karl Weber, January 1751, continued.

See Ruggiero, M. (1885). Storia degli scavi di Ercolano ricomposta su’ documenti superstiti. (p.113)