New evidence for wood and reed ceilings from Roman Pannonia

Dobosi, Linda (2025) New evidence for wood and reed ceilings from Roman Pannonia. ARCHAEOLOGIAI ÉRTESÍTŐ (BUDAPEST), 150. ISSN 0003-8032 (In Press)

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Abstract

Relatively little is known about Roman age wooden ceilings especially in the provinces, since only few have survived. Most of our evidence comes from the Vesuvian cities in Southern Italy, along with the information provided by the literary sources (e.g. Vitruvius, Cetius Faventinus, Palladius), which also concern building practices in Italy. Wooden ceilings, however, were widespread, and the most frequently used types: plank ceilings, coffered ceilings, lathe ceilings and reed ceilings were built in the provinces as well. Flat and vaulted ceilings made of reed bundles or woven lathes or sticks are usually called hanging or non-structural ceilings since these were fastened to or hung from the ceiling beams. These structures were then covered with several layers of plaster and decorated with colourful figurative or geometric paintings. They were cheap and easy to build, and the result was an impressive realistic imitation of masonry vaults. Examples from Gallia and Germania have already been published in detail, which provides a solid starting point for the study of the Pannonian examples.

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