1. The Hut of Romulus: Assessing an Archaeological Site
“The Romans” Case Study
Chapter 1
A. Graham

2. King Evander’s Hut on the Palatine
Virgil’s Aeneid :
‘they were coming up to Evander’s humble home, and there were cattle everywhere, lowing in the Roman Forum and in the now luxurious district of Carinae… “Come into my poor home and do not judge it too harshly.” With these words he led the mighty Aeneas under a roof tree of his narrow house and set him down on a bed of leaves covered with the hide of a Libyan bear.’
Translation from Penguin edition: D. West (2003), p. 175.

3. Romulus’ Hut
This image was created by planetware: and adjusted with labels by the author.

4. Romulus’ Hut: Casa Romuli
Post holes! If you like reconstructing wattle and daub huts from holes where wood used to be, archaic archaeology is for you!
Image 1: A model of an archaic hut can be found at the Museo della Civilta, Roma. Image reproduced from:
Image 2: By Vitold Muratov (own work), via Wikimedia Commons:

5. Villanovan urn from the 9th-8th century BC which probably contained the ashes from a burial
Sloping beams of the
wooden roof?
These urns, found
in archaic burial sites in
Rome, reveal aspects
of Roman domestic
architecture, allowing
reconstructions from
limited archaeological
remains (e.g. postholes)
Libyan bear hide?
‘Italic - Urn in the Shape of a Hut and a Door - Walters ’, by Italic - Walters Art Museum. Licensed under public domain via Wikimedia Commons: