The House of the Tub in Hellenistic Halos

A horseman’s household

Reinder Reinders, Marloes Bergsma, Tamara Dijsktra, Wietske Prummel

• Publisher: Barkhuis
• Year: 2025
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9789493194779
• Subtopic: Greek Ancient History
• Index: Social Sciences

The House of the Tub in Hellenistic Halos was built around 302 BCE and suddenly abandoned after an earthquake about three decades later, leaving much of the household inventory in situ. The detailed recording and analysis of artefact distributions—including ceramics, metal and stone artefacts, faunal and botanical remains—made it possible to identify the range of activities carried out in each room and to assess patterns in the use of space.
The results indicate a high degree of multifunctionality: most rooms and the courtyard contained combinations of storage vessels, cooking equipment, tableware, and food remains, demonstrating that spaces were not assigned single, fixed functions. No evidence for genderspecific areas was identified; artefacts typically associated with women, such as loom weights or cosmetic vessels, were dispersed throughout the house.
The assemblage reflects a household of comparatively high socio-economic standing, with substantial storage capacity and material wealth exceeding that of other excavated houses at New Halos. The presence of a bronze horse bit, weaponry, and numerous Macedonian royal coins are clear indications that the inhabitants were connected to military service, specifically to the Macedonian cavalry. The authors therefore identify this as a horseman’s household.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1 - Introduction
• Chapter 2 - Aims and Methods
• Chapter 3 - Architecture
• Chapter 4 - The find assemblage
• Chapter 5 - From artefacts to activities
• Conclusion
• Afterword
• Appendix 1 - Overview of the House of the Tub in 2010 and plan of the excavated area (House of the Tub and House of Agnostos, 2007-2011)
• Appendix 2 - Distribution of the artefacts over the rooms of the House of the Tub
• Appendix 3 - Tables House of the Tub
• Appendix 4 - Finds from the House of Agnostos, Street 11, and the North, East and South House
• References