Room J

This room's combination of household goods and religious finds begs the question: how entertwined were the two?

Preparing food might have been done in this room. The stone pestle and pot cover would indicate that, and the copious potsherds found in the room (although not present in our exhibit) suggest that these objects were in this room originally. In addition, the bronze handle might belong to a finer household dining ware. However, within our data set, it was described as an amulet, which begs the question: is it actually meant for protective or decorative purposes? It is difficult to say.

There are also more general household goods. The alabaster weight would have been used on a day-to-day basis, but more intriguing is the object described as "rough-wedge-shaped piece of stone; square transverse hole at small end." We identified this specifically as a loom weight, as we had both seen and heard described similar loom weight finds. We chose our comparanda accordingly, but of course this is only self-identification without any visual confirmation.

Also present are more conspiciously religious objects. The fragment of the stone altar was not comprehensively described, and thus the comparanda we chose may not be entirely accurate to what it looks like. However, both come from relatively the same time period and location. In addition, the small figurine of Harpocrates might also point to worship. Like in room C, perhaps it is also a votive figure. Although votive figures were usually presented to the gods as a bribe or gift, they could have also been seen as a representation of the god within the home. (Teeter 2011, 88)

There may also be evidence of ancestor worship, just as in room C. The bust with the head missing could be an ancestor bust. These busts were considered the representation of the ancestors, and were presented offerings. Its presence might be that of an ancestor watching over the household, within everyday spaces.

Much like in room C, there are also animal figurines here. The plaster horse and faience dog could be votive figures much like there, or they could be toys. It is also difficult to determine.

Room J continues to blur the lines between the religious and the household. With difficulty confirming the modern dichotomy between the two, the strict separation starts to dissolve.