The Decumanus, Near the Macellum in Ostia Antiqua, June 1995

The Market, a building where meat was sold, was excavated in 1938. Restorations were carried out in 1942. Further excavations took place in 1949-1953, by the Soprintendenza, and in 1997-2001, by the University of Augsburg. Most of the masonry belongs to the later second century, probably to the reign of Commodus (180-192 AD; opus latericium). Below the building remains were found of a building from the first half of the third century BC (destroyed by a fire), and of a late-republican building (c. 70-30 BC), possibly a domus, also destroyed by a fire. If there really was a domus under the present ruins, then the Macellum may originally have been elsewhere in the city. Some Augustan masonry (shops) was found below the east half of the courtyard.

The building is dominated by a courtyard. It could be reached directly from Via del Pomerio to the east, through two entrances two metres wide. The entrances were closed with wooden doors, witness the thresholds. The courtyard could also be reached from the north, from the Decumanus. Here is a monumental entrance, a porch with two granite columns. A corridor leads to the interior. Further to the west is a secondary corridor, with a white mosaic.

The north part of the building consists of shops. Some are behind porticos along the Decumanus and Via del Pomerio, others face the courtyard. In the second shop to the east of the main corridor, on the Decumanus, is a masonry counter that partly blocks the entrance. It was decorated with marble. In the front is a niche. A north-south running wall was set against the counter. There are two staircases in this part of the building. In the northern porticus the Taberne dei Pescivendoli (IV,V,1) were installed.

To the south-west of the courtyard is a large room, perhaps with a barrel-vault, where standard weights and measures may have been kept (see below). To the west of the courtyard is a deep podium, that originally had a roof. It was supported by brick piers set against the back wall, and by six marble columns with corinthian capitals set against the front of the podium. The podium could be reached from the courtyard along little staircases. Two staircases in the centre lead downward to a room below the podium. In this room are a few small basins. The marble columns were found partly in the building and partly in the neighbourhood, reused in other structures in late antiquity.

Text from: www.ostia-antica.org/regio4/5/5-2.htm