The Casa del Peristyle preserves a mosaic made up of tesserae and an atrium with a pond and columns, next to a causeway and the sewer
The Barrio del Foro de Cartagena incorporates new findings, which will soon form part of the visitable complex. This same week began the excavation of a noble residence, integrated into the city that concentrated citizen life two thousand years ago. The City Council and the Autonomous Community collaborate to uncover this part of the IV insula of the Molinete Archaeological Park, next to Balcones street.
The deputy mayor and mayor of Archaeological Heritage, Ana Belén Castejón, highlighted yesterday the importance of “bringing to light part of the Casa del Peristyle.” “It is flanked to the west by a thistle or causeway that separates it from the Sanctuary of Isis,” he said. The part that has been exposed is made up of several rooms. Vestiges of a mosaic, ‘opus signinum’, with tesserae that form a geometric floral decoration have been found in one of them. An atrium with a pond also appeared, where archaeologists found the remains of two columns. As far as the thistle is concerned, part of the pavement and the sewage system are preserved in good condition.
This sector was already excavated in 2015, the year in which emergency conservation interventions were also carried out. “The extension and the difficulty of conserving the area forced it to be covered to preserve the archaeological structures,” explained Castejón.
A grant of 100,000 euros from the Community to carry out interventions in archaeological and paleontological sites will help to discover the existing remains. The archaeological supervision will allow proceeding with the conservation and restoration of all the structures found at the time and the architectural and museographic adaptation for the visit.
After finishing the works, “visitors will be able to walk along the road and access the rooms of the Domus del Peristyle. All this will enrich the visit”, explained the deputy mayor.
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