Are you still digging or already living? Living in ancient Carnuntum
By Nisa Iduna Kirchengast - Editors: Daniel Kunc, Thomas Mauerhofer
Smart home, carport, heat pump - while living today is characterized by modern technologies, a high degree of individuality and comfort, a look back to antiquity shows how forms of living once corresponded to people's social status, needs and opportunities in a different way. Like many other provincial capitals of antiquity, Carnuntum reflects the diverse life of Roman society in its buildings and urban structure. From the simple houses of the craftsmen to the luxurious city villas and rural estates, there was a wide range of different house types and forms of housing that varied according to social status, function and location.
Ancient Carnuntum consisted of several settlements that served different purposes. The civilian town, located roughly on the site of present-day Petronell-Carnuntum, developed into a permanent settlement from the second half of the 1st century AD. At the beginning of the 3rd century, an increase in building activity can be observed following its appointment as colonia and provincial capital of Upper Pannonia: the city seems to have been upgraded structurally, which may have been favored by a more stable political situation. This city was characterized by a street grid with regular blocks of houses, the so-called insulae, in which the majority of the inhabitants lived and worked. The canabae legionis, which formed around the legionary camp, were the residential area of the civilian population who were close to the military, including traders, craftsmen and soldiers' families. The area of the legionary camp itself, located to the east of the civilian city, which was reserved for the military, offered the soldiers living space in barracks. Outside these urban settlement centers were the agricultural areas and estates (villae rusticae) that supplied the surrounding countryside.
General plan of the Carnuntine civil town with the suburban zones to the west and south and the two amphitheaters (II and III). - © Wallner (Geosphere Austria)
In the civil city, there were both tenement and town houses as well as larger villa complexes: multi-storey tenement houses (insulae) were common in the urban areas of the Roman Empire, including Carnuntum. These buildings provided space for several families, with the quality of living and furnishings varying depending on the floor. The lower floors were usually more comfortable, while the upper apartments, which were often only accessible via stairs, were more simply furnished (domus quarta).
Domus Quarta in the reconstructed city quarter in Carnuntum
Many of the residential buildings in Carnuntum were so-called strip houses: these elongated buildings were widespread in the Roman provinces. They consisted of narrow plots along the streets and combined living and working spaces. In their simplest form, they consisted of a few rooms facing the street. Along Südstraße, the house of Lucius or the house of the oil merchant are impressive examples. In recent years, a residential building was excavated along the Nordstraße, which represents a richly furnished city palace. The Villa urbana was a luxurious residential complex that served as a retreat for a wealthy upper-class family and was a prestigious building with elaborate interior decoration.
Main hall of the magnificent villa urbana - a remarkable find made it possible to reconstruct the wall paintings
The interiors of Carnuntum's residential buildings also reflected the status and preferences of their inhabitants. Depending on how the buildings were constructed, there was a living room, dining room, bedroom and cooking area, which were often located around light-filled courtyards. The courtyards were not only a popular place to spend time on hot days but also served to bring daylight into the rooms as the windows were often small. As a rule, there were no bathrooms in the houses in the modern sense: private baths or toilets were rare in the excavated areas of Carnuntum. If they existed, they were often located in the kitchen room, as this was where the sewage was accessed. Sometimes a cool, draughty bathing room was adjacent, but most people used the public baths anyway. Even simpler houses could display a certain splendor through wall paintings, mosaics and sculptural decoration. Particularly lavish building materials and interior decoration can be found in the villas of the wealthy upper classes. Underfloor heating, the so-called hypocausts, ensured comfortable living even in colder provinces such as Pannonia.
Carnuntum shows a picture of a city which, despite its location on the northern borders of the Roman Empire, was strongly influenced by Roman architecture and lifestyle, but nevertheless underwent local adaptations. The wide range of different house types and the variety of interior design reflect the social wealth and cosmopolitan structure of the frontier metropolis.