Buildings

[Northern Neil]

A bit of advice needed - my latest building project involves a comparative study of a 2nd century barrack block against the same barrack block, but rebuilt in the 4th century. For those familiar with Hadrian's Wall, they will be aware that barracks in 4th century Northern British forts were rebuilt in a slightly chaotic fashion, and resembled a jumble of victorian terraced houses rather than the straight, no nonsense buildings of earlier centuries. My question is this: we all know, from Pompeii and other places, that it was the convention to plaster buildings and then paint them various shades of red, green or grey up to shoulder height. Did this fashion persist into the fourth and fifth centuries, or did it fizzle out, like so many other 'standard' conventions of Roman life in the third century? Any help, references and opinions welcome.

[caldrail]

Well I'm no expert, but the impression I get from archaeology is tht the fashion persisted as long as 'pure roman' culture was in the area. Once barbarian tastes rise to the fore, buildings become smaller and less grand. The same might be said for colour schemes. Colour was very important to roman tastes but other cultures were far less concerned with such things.

[DecimusCaesar]

I can find very little information about the subject, although according to one source, around AD c.300 the fort at Chester was refurbished. The plastering of fort walls continued into the Dominate period, and from what little illustrations I've seen, the walls were of a plain white colour - such as that of the El-Leijun. I don't know if this fashion was copied in Britain at the time, although it does seem that many of the Saxon shore forts, such as that at Richmond, had buildings constructed of timber rather than stone, as some of the Principate forts would have been.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures up in the Gallery, although I don't know how much help they'll be.

[Northern Neil]

Thanks, chaps - I believe I have seen plain white used in some reconstruction illustrations for late period buildings - it does not surprise me that the custom of painting red to shoulder height may have been dropped by this time.