The 3rd field season was carried out in March and April 2012 continuing our works on the fortifications walls of Pompeji. The team involved consisted again of architects and students of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus and was completed by a surveyor of this university. During these three weeks measuring and documentation works focused on all remains of the city wall continued. Actual work was carried out on the part between Porta Vesuvio and Porta Ercolano, at Porta Nocera and at Porta Stabia.

Continuing the analysis and rectification of the masonry techniques with the help of photogrammetrical fotos, the northern part between Porta Vesuvio and Porta Ercolano was in the focus of this analysis. Here we start to rectificate all important keys to describe the masonry technique: different materials – size of ashlars – mason marks etc. The rectification will finish in the next campaign in September 2012. Also the work on the three-dimensional mockup was continued on the basis of the processed photos. Furthermore a view from cityside of the Porta Vesuvio and the adjacent curtains was generated.

The focus of the last campaigns was on the recording and documentation of the Porta Nocera, which could complete in this campaign. The scientific and architectural research on the gate – concerning the building phases and reconstruction models – was started and will finish in August carried out by architect Dirk Jerominek. The result of his master thesis will be an important key in understanding the development of the whole city.
A precondition for our works in September along the southern parts of the city wall (between Porta Marina and Porta Stabia) was the existence of measuring points within that area. Consequently, the already established grid of measuring points had to be extended through the creation of new fixpoints.

Finally, work focused on Porta Stabia being one of the best-preserved and most important gates of the citywall. Drawings published by A. Maiuri are difficult to understand and in some parts not precise, that’s why they were not sufficient for the purpose of modern architectural research. New recording seemed to be the only way to document the building adequately; work in this area led to two ground plans, four cross sections and one elevation.

Apart from pure recording emphasis was laid on the recognition of different building phases and the observation of constructive details. As a first result, some of hitherto existing interpretations have been confirmed but in some parts corrections and additions are needed. This mainly concerns those partitions made of so-called orthostatic blocks, which seemingly belong, according to the constructive context, to a later period than the two aggerwalls.

Moreover, a clear disjunction between bastion and atriumwalls proofs that these two sections have been erected in different phases. It seems obvious that the bastion precedes: the stretchers of the atrium walls make use of the slightly projecting foundation stones of the already existing bastion.
Additionally A. Maiuri had claimed an exclusive usage of travertin for the erection of the first aggerwall as well as for the bastions of the gates. Now it can be said that tuff ashlars had been used in those parts of the bastions of Porta Nola, Porta Vesuvio and Porta Stabia, which were not visible from outside or covered by dirt. The same could hold true for aggerwall 1, but further investigation is needed in order to obtain final results.