The "Lanifricarius" and the "Officinae Lanifricariae" at Pompeii
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4023228 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Walter O Moeller (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1966 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 493 |
| Publication date | 1966-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Technology and Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0040-165X • E-ISSN: 1097-3729 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/3101848 |
| OpenAlex | W2320150210 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
On the Via del Lupanare at Pompeii, next to the lupanar itself, is a well-preserved workshop (VII. xii. 17)1 which, after more than a hundred years of exposure to the light of day, still puzzles scholars about its exact function. It is clear that it was devoted to some phase of woolwashing, for, besides two small vats and two large pans of lead set on top of respective furnaces, a graffito referring to the washing of wool was discovered in the house. The shop has been called an officina lanifricaria from the admonition lanifricari dormis (wool-rubber, you sleep) found on the wall of house fifteen on the same block.2 Although the term lanifricarius, a hapax legomenon, definitely means wool-rubber or, perhaps better still, wool-scrubber, it has not been certain at what point in the processing of wool this worker performed his office. Wool was washed at three different stages, and each of these cleanings was basically a different operation with its own objectives. When it first came from the sheep, raw wool was thoroughly cleaned to remove such impurities as lanolin, suint, and various forms of dirt. The modern term for this process is wool-scouring. Then after being combed or carded, dyed, spun, and woven into cloth, there was a second washing when the fabric was finished by the fullers (fullones). In this case, the main purpose was to thicken and tighten the cloth, and the removal of dirt and grease acquired in processing was of secondary importance. The third point at which wool was cleaned was when those fullers who acted as launderers washed soiled clothing
Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Geology · Historical and Literary Studies
| Citations per year | 0.31 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2013 - 2024 (12) |
| Highly cited | No |