A circular pool in the main courtyard of the “Hellenistic” House in Nea Paphos. Preliminary remarks

Abstrakt

Excavations in the main courtyard of the “Hellenistic” House in Nea Paphos in 2016, Polish excavations, revealed a small circular pool with immured tops of Dressel 6A amphorae in the wall surrounding it and a circular imprint in the middle of the floor. The paper undertakes a discussion of possible form and function, putting forward a tentative interpretation based on a study of parallels that we are dealing with an ornamental pool, a popular furnishing of wealthy Roman house gardens, functioning perhaps as a fishpond (piscina) or a tank with water constantly running in and out, with a labrum or columnar pedestal standing in the middle.