Have. En förstudie av faucesmosaiker i Pompeji

Sammanfattning: The aim of this essay is to discuss the possibilities for a large scale investigation of the fauces mosaics that are preserved in Pompeii, and to examine what symbol value they had and how they communicated social order in a Roman society. The essay is structured as a synopsis that aims to investigate suitable ways to approach this field of study and lay the ground for a large scale empirical study. I have investigated different approaches to analyse the field and thoroughly discussed ways to use Ray Laurence’s (1994) methodology to answer the following questions: Which houses in Pompeii have a mosaic floor in their entrances and where are these houses situated? Is it possible to determine whether or not these house owners chose to decorate their entrances due to the location of their houses: i.e. is it possible to see a deliberate choice from these house owners? The main question of this essay is whether or not Laurence’s methodology of the patterns of movement could provide a solid ground for an inquiry like this. The conclusion is that this methodology will be an effective analytical framework that will shed light on these questions and enhance our knowledge of how fauces mosaics were used to communicate symbols of status to specific profession groups in the Roman society.