User:Carolinefreeman/sandbox

New Project: House of Julia Felix, Fall 2018

Intro: The House of Julia Felix, also referred to as the Praedia of Julia Felix, the Latin term for an estate, or land, is a large Roman villa in the ruined city of Pompeii . It was the residence of Julia Felix, who converted portions of it to apartments, available for rent, under her ownership. The apartments became available and necessary for the residents of Pompeii after a major earthquake in 62 AD, a precursor to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, that destroyed the city of Pompeii. Archaeological excavations began in 1755 and the remains of the House of Julia Felix can be visited today in its original location in Pompeii.

Background: Julia Felix was a Roman woman who resided in the city of Pompeii. She was a determined female property owner who used her property to help residents of Pompeii and make a living for herself. Scholars disagree on her upbringing and the way in which she inherited the money needed to create a villa. Some scholars believe Julia Felix was a "low-born, illegitimate daughter of Spurius" some believe she descended from imperial freedmen, meaning the emperor's ex-slaves(CITE). Renting out her villa helped her earn an income and establish herself as a property owner, business woman, and public figure in Pompeii. It is unclear if Julia Felix was married or if she worked with a male figure to furnish and rent out her villa. During Julia Felix's lifetime, laws were implemented limiting women from owning property without a male figure or guardian. Some Roman women were able to independently own land and other types of property if those women were independent of their fathers, husbands, or male guardians(CITE). If legal guardians were required in specific situations, those guardians would have to approve actions involving the transferring of women's property. Elite women specifically, were able to bypass the need for a guardian in property ownership and property transfer (CITE). Julia Felix's villa, at the height of her ownership and business, took up an entire block of land in the city of Pompeii and rented it out to the residents of Pompeii who lost their homes in the 62 AD earthquake. Some of the extravagant architecture and art within Julia Felix's villa exists today and depicts the unique establishment that benefitted many citizens of Pompeii.

Architecture: The homes of the wealthy citizens of Pompeii were built around courtyards that were rectangular in shape into which the main rooms opened and had enclosed gardens and private water supply. The architecture of the House of Julia Felix was a combination of indoor and outdoor areas made up of architectural techniques customary to Pompeii; many of the surrounding buildings followed the same style(CITE). Specific to the House of Julia Felix, there were sections of the praedia that allowed for indoor and outdoor seating, landscapes of leisure and gardens(CITE). The portico, made up of pillars rather than columns, and the door signifying the main entrance are two of the many architectural features that still stand today and act as a support for the house as well as a piece of Pompeian art(CITE). Much of the architecture of the House of Julia Felix can be visited today. Due to the multiple excavations of Pompeii and specifically the House of Julia Felix, the beauty and durability of the architecture gives viewers insight into the history of the Pompeian past.

Inside the Villa:

Inside their villas, Pompeians chose many different ways to express themselves through art and the layout of the interior rooms and exterior amenities of their homes. In terms of art, some Pompeians would copy Greek paintings and others would choose a theme of love or fertility, but most chose landscapes. The pieces of art found in Pompeii were mostly of local scenes, villas from along the coast, or woodland and hills. The art within the House of Julia Felix was also very interesting, it depicted small-time merchants and the lifestyles of every day Pompeian citizens(CITE BL). Some of these paintings include the "Portrait of a Pompeian Couple," "Still Life with Fruit Bowl," and the famous, "Still Life with Eggs and Game," pictured above. Some of the paintings that were painted directly on the walls of the praedia still exist today in their original location. In terms of some of the facilities used by those renting from Julia Felix, the dining rooms and baths were some of the most extravagant aspects of the house. The House of Julia Felix was important in hosting those who lost their homes during the earthquake, yet the appeal came from the dining room section; it was an environment of pure luxury(CITE BL). The dining rooms were elegant and welcoming to all the guests. The structure and designs of the dining rooms were said to imitate those of the wealthiest citizens of Pompeii, who owned homes surrounding the countryside and coast.(CITE DAMBRA).The dining room overlooked Julia Felix's gardens that also incorporated small pools and waterfalls(CITE DAMBRA). As well as the dining rooms, the baths were a popular addition to the House of Julia Felix. The house included fully equipped and elegant baths intended for the respectable citizens of Pompeii(CITE COOLEY). The appeal to the house came from its extravagance and necessity, but in terms of baths, the House of Julia Felix was the only place in that area that had fully equipped baths(CITE DAMBRA).

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Excavation: Parslow

Since the excavations of Pompeii, much has been revealed about the villa of Julia Felix. The earliest known excavation was in 1757 between the months of March and April(CITE). The excavation occurred under the direction of R.J de Alcubierre and his assistant K. Weber (CITE). Many of the sections belonging to the villa were uncovered during this excavation and most can be visited today. Some of the excavated parts of the villa, revealed during the first excavation were a taberna (tavern), luxurious baths, and richly decorated formal garden dining rooms. Another excavation occurred during the years 1912–1935, and during this excavation an unknown shrine and the façade of the building, the side facing the via dell' Abbondanza was uncovered. Next, between the years 1998–1999 some of the most important discoveries were made by excavators. A trench found behind the caldarium dated back as early as the Augustan period. The caldarium revealed a drain that conducted water from the hypocaust floor, which conducted heat for a bath or room in a Roman home. A nymphaeum or grotto of nymphs with a water-stair fountain and triclinium was also discovered which was a modification put in after the earthquake of 62 A.D. Through the three if not more excavations of the House of Julia Felix, much was discovered, yet historians may never know the entire story of Julia Felix and the vastness of her house during the height of its vacancy.

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3/31/17: Week 2 During the process of evaluating a couple articles on Wikipedia, I have learned about the similarities between articles that are on different topics but still follow the same format. I found that everything that I read in the articles were relevant to the topic and if necessary, one could move to other related topic pages through links. I enjoy articles with images and maps and find those to be the most helpful. I also think that the sources are references are good and allow readers to look to multiple sources and writers while reading.

3/31/17: Week 2 Possible project topics: Leaders connection to gods, Role of women, Division of the household, Aqueducts, Forum (architecture in general).

4/7/17: For my Wikipedia Project, I will be reviewing the current Wikipedia article titled “Ancient Roman Architecture.” I am really interested in architecture, I love studying topics and thinking about how architecture plays a role. For example, I added an element of architecture to my first paper because I do believe that it is a way to identify a culture and is used for other cultures to base their architecture on. I want to use the questions posted on the Wikipedia timeline for our class as questions to think about for this article and how to improve the article. The main questions I want to focus on in this article are: “Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything distracting you? Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented or underrepresented? Lastly, is any information out of date? These questions seem to be the most important to me and I think that if I am able to read this article deeply and for details with these questions in mind I will be able to improve this article. I really enjoy studying Roman architecture so I hope that if my research and edits do not help the Wikipedia page much, that I will deepen my knowledge about this topic. Books from the Trinity Library: Roman Architecture by Frank Sear, Roman Architecture and Society by James C. Anderson, A Companion to Roman Arcitecture by Roger B. Ulrich, Caroline K. Quenemoen

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4/20/17 Draft of Article: Improving an existing article?

•  Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox. 

CHANGES TO MAKE TO ROMAN ARCHITECTURE WIKIPEDIA

1.    Remove last paragraph in first section, it is not necessary. (Delete)

2.    Add a description of Greek architecture either within or before “Origins."

3.    Make the section on concrete larger; it is constantly being referred to, that being said it should be one of the largest sections because it has a lot of importance.

4.    Infrastructure could possibly be a different article. (Delete)

5.    Completely remove last section on architectural features; this article should only include outdoor architecture not indoor designs. (Delete)

Roman Architecture Wikipedia Edits

"Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but differed from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often considered one body of classical architecture. Roman architecture flourished in the Roman Republic and even more so under the Empire, when the great majority of surviving buildings were constructed. It used new materials, particularly concrete, and newer technologies such as the arch and the dome to make buildings that were typically strong and well-engineered. Large numbers remain in some form across the empire, sometimes complete and still in use.

Roman Architecture covers the period from the establishment of the Roman Republic in 509 BC to about the 4th century AD, after which it becomes reclassified as Late Antique or Byzantine architecture. Almost no substantial examples survive from before about 100 BC, and most of the major survivals are from the later empire, after about 100 AD. Roman architectural style continued to influence building in the former empire for many centuries, and the style used in Western Europe beginning about 1000 is called Romanesque architecture to reflect this dependence on basic Roman forms.

The Romans only began to achieve significant originality in architecture around the beginning of the Imperial period, after they had combined aspects of their original Etruscan architecture with others taken from Greece, including most elements of the style we now call classical architecture. They moved from trabeated construction mostly based on columns and lintels to one based on massive walls, punctuated by arches, and later domes, both of which greatly developed under the Romans. The classical orders now became largely decorative rather than structural, except in colonnades. Stylistic developments included the Tuscan and Composite orders; the first being a shortened, simplified variant on the Doric order and the Composite being a tall order with the floral decoration of the Corinthian and the scrolls of the Ionic. The period from roughly 40 BC to about 230 AD saw most of the greatest achievements, before the Crisis of the Third Century and later troubles reduced the wealth and organizing power of the central government."

1. REMOVE: The Romans produced massive public buildings and works of civil engineering, and were responsible for significant developments in housing and public hygiene, for example their public and private baths and latrines, under-floor heating in the form of the hypocaust, mica glazing (examples in Ostia Antica), and piped hot and cold water (examples in Pompeii and Ostia).

2. Greek Origins: Ancient Greek architecture

Romans get most of their architectural influence from the Greeks and their architecture. To further this article the more specific the explanation about the origins of this article is better. Anderson says, "But as Rome gradually conquered the world, she was, naturally, influenced by the civilizations with which she came into contact. The commonplace, that Greece led her captor captive, is true in architecture as in art"(Anderson 15) Referencing other authors and their descriptions of the connections to Greek and Roman architecture will benefit this article. Marquand in his book Greek Architecture discusses the history of the Greek style and in studying this information, it provides the reader with the origin of Roman Architecture. His fifth chapter titled "Composition and Style" describes the specific features of Greek architecture like "Foundation and Pavements" "Walls" "Doors and Windows" "Piers and Columns" and more. The discussion of these elements is helpful to add to this article because the article touches on these styles and broadly describes that they derive from Greek forms and by including this information it will be clearer to the reader.

3. Concrete:

Roman concrete

"Concrete quickly supplanted brick as the primary building material,^{[[[Wikipedia:Citation needed|citation needed]]]} and more daring buildings soon followed, with great pillars supporting broad arches and domes rather than dense lines of columns suspending flat architraves. The freedom of concrete also inspired the colonnade screen, a row of purely decorative columns in front of a load-bearing wall. In smaller-scale architecture, concrete's strength freed the floor plan from rectangular cells to a more free-flowing environment.^{[[[Wikipedia:Citation needed|citation needed]]]} Most of these developments are described by Vitruvius, writing in the first century AD in his work De Architectura.

Although concrete had been used on a minor scale in Mesopotamia, Roman architects perfected Roman concrete and used it in buildings where it could stand on its own and support a great deal of weight. The first use of concrete by the Romans was in the town of Cosa sometime after 273 BC. Ancient Roman concrete was a mixture of lime mortar, aggregate, pozzolana, water, and stones, and was stronger than previously-used concretes. The ancient builders placed these ingredients in wooden frames where they hardened and bonded to a facing of stones or (more frequently) bricks. The aggregates used were often much larger than in modern concrete, amounting to rubble.

When the framework was removed, the new wall was very strong, with a rough surface of bricks or stones. This surface could be smoothed and faced with an attractive stucco or thin panels of marble or other coloured stones called revetment. Concrete construction proved to be more flexible and less costly than building solid stone buildings. The materials were readily available and not difficult to transport. The wooden frames could be used more than once, allowing builders to work quickly and efficiently. Concrete is arguably the Roman contribution most relevant to modern architecture."

ADD: Anderson, in his book titled Architecture of Ancient Rome discusses many topics of the history of Roman architecture. For this article specifically, the third section in the book is titled "Materials and Mode of Construction: The Orders" he discusses the material used overtime for Roman architecture as well as includes images of the progression of Roman architecture. For the purpose of this article specifically, I looked at the section that discusses concrete and think that in editing this article on Roman Architecture, his material should be added. One quote I found particularly important reads "In Italy itself he points to the repairs to the fortification walls of Alba Fucens, effected after 310 BC, as presenting the earliest example of the use of concrete, which is faced with small, closely fitted polygonal limestone blocks" (Anderson 30) This quote specifically addresses the use of concrete and gives the reader an exact date and place where concrete was first used. This Wikipedia article frequently discusses concrete because it was a new material important to Romans and with the inclusion of this quote, the concrete section of this article will be more specific and helpful for readers. (Also could add link to specific article on Roman Concrete: Roman concrete)

4. Infrastructure could possibly be a different article. (Delete)

5. Architectural Features

Remove this last section of features. I think this should be its own article and the article on architecture should focus on types and styles rather than what is found in the architecture.

*In general this article is very long and broad: to change this I want to delete paragraphs including the end of the introduction and the last section. Readers will not read this whole article because of the length or the lack of specificity. Putting more detail into the origins of the architecture and styles as well as materials and the creation of Roman materials different than those of prior cultures will enhance this article.*

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Final Edits to Wikipedia article: "Ancient Roman Architecture"

1. REMOVE:

If the article needs to be shortened, might be helpful to the viewers of the article to remain engaged in the topic of this article, this would be the section to possibly remove. “The Romans produced massive public buildings and works of civil engineering, and were responsible for significant developments in housing and public hygiene, for example their public and private baths and latrines, under-floor heating in the form of the hypocaust, mica glazing (examples in Ostia Antica), and piped hot and cold water (examples in Pompeii and Ostia).” This could be added to another article or act on its own.

2. Greek Origins ADD:

Romans got most of their architectural influence from the Greeks and their innovative architecture (Ancient Greek architecture). Many sources discuss the origins of architecture by discussing Greek trends. James Anderson author of Roman Architecture and Society says, "But as Rome gradually conquered the world, she was, naturally, influenced by the civilizations with which she came into contact. The commonplace, that Greece led her captor captive, is true in architecture as in art". As well as Anderson, Allan Marquand in his book Greek Architecture discusses the history of the Greek style and in studying this information, it provides the reader with the origin of Roman Architecture. His fifth chapter titled "Composition and Style" describes the specific features of Greek architecture like "Foundation and Pavements" "Walls" "Doors and Windows" "Piers and Columns" and more. Most of these architectural features are discussed in Classical order where details are provided on specific greek orders and how these styles were implemented by the Greeks and Romans.

3. Concrete: ADD:

Anderson, in Architecture of Ancient Rome discusses many topics of the history of Roman architecture. The third section in his book is titled "Materials and Mode of Construction: The Orders" where he discusses the material used overtime for Roman architecture as well as includes images of the progression of Roman architecture. For the purpose of this article specifically, the most relevant section is the section that discusses concrete and its benefits to Roman architecture. One of his main points explains the beginning of the use of architecture and he explains this by stating: "In Italy itself he points to the repairs to the fortification walls of Alba Fucens, effected after 310 BC, as presenting the earliest example of the use of concrete, which is faced with small, closely fitted polygonal limestone blocks". This quote specifically addresses the use of concrete and gives an exact date and location where concrete was first used. Roman concrete also on wikipedia, discusses in more detail the origins and use of Roman concrete. With the combination of the facts presented in this article as well as those presented in the Roman concrete article,

4. Architectural Features REMOVE:

This last section on features, I believe, should be removed from this article and placed in its own article or another wikipedia article that discuss interior architecture under a specific building like in the articles on Atrium (architecture), and Pantheon, Rome. This sections should be changed to fit in with these articles or other on interior architecture. Due to the length of this article, it is unnecessary to add a section on interior rather than exterior features.

*In general this article is very long and broad: to change this, delete paragraphs including the end of the introduction and the last section. Readers will not read this whole article because of the length or the lack of specificity. Putting more detail into the origins of the architecture and styles (2) as well as materials and the creation of Roman materials different than those of prior cultures (3) will enhance this article.*