As part of the Centre Jean Bérard (CNRS – EfR) programme on “Craft working and the Economy at Pompeii”, begun a decade ago under the direction of Jean-Pierre Brun, in 2012 a group of young French and Italian researchers, directed by Laëtitia Cavassa, made a study of workshop 29.
The study was undertaken in collaboration with the Pompeii Superintendency and financed by the French Foreign Ministry through the Centre Jean Bérard in Naples, and since 2014 has been funded by private French benefactors (CMD2 and Neptunia).
Research on pottery production at Pompeii represents a first stage in a more extensive programme regarding the entire area immediately outside the Porta Ercolano that will be investigated as part of a study on “The organisation, management and transformation of a suburban area: the Porta Ercolano sector, between cemetery space and commercial space”, directed by Laëtitia Cavassa (CNRS, Centre Camille Jullian at Aix-en-Provence and the Centre Jean Bérard), Nicolas Laubry (University of Paris-Est Créteil/CRHEC) and Nicolas Monteix (University of Rouen).

The potter’s workshop, via dei sepolcri 28-30

In 1838 a kiln was uncovered in the area of the necropolis at Porta Ercolano, in the penultimate workshop in the portico situated on via dei sepolcri. The workshop is at no. 29 and the excavation diaries from the period indicate that the kiln functioned at the time of the 79 A.D. eruption.
The diaries also mentioned the presence of vases called “pignattini”, to be identified as the potter’s last production.
The presence of a second kiln in the neighbouring workshop, no. 30, is also mentioned. Over time, the precise location of this second kiln was lost.

The excavations 2012-2013

These excavations concentrated on workshop 29, known from the presence of a kiln.
The aims were to document the workshop structures and to resume study of the kiln itself, to understand when its activity began and what it produced, that is what did the so-called “pignattini” look like, and to identify the work spaces and structures (potter’s wheel, possible settling tanks).

The first days of excavating were more than positive with the discovery, close to the kiln, of a layer of lapilli from the 79 A.D. eruption. This covered, and protected, about ten unfired vases, three of which particularly well-preserved. The vases were small, thin-walled ware beakers-cups for drinking or pouring, slipped and decorated with small incisions, the “pignattini” described by the 19th century excavation diaries.
This is the first time unfired vessels have been found at Pompeii and therefore they represent a very important element for research on pottery production in the ancient city. They provided direct proof that the workshop was active that day and, from the point of view of archaeological research, the identification of the production of a particular vessel is a great step forward.