By means of a thorough study of the material remains of a Pompeian city-block (insula V 1) the project aims to approach questions concerning ancient urbanization, social interaction, functional and ritual categorisation of space, as well as the interpretation of imagery and decorative schemes of the houses. A second aim is the creation and conduct of a multidisciplinary seminar in Sweden. This seminar will treat Pompeian and ancient urban studies in a more general perspective and promote research into the reception of the Pompeian tradition in Sweden from the 18th century onwards.
The project relies on ongoing fieldwork in Pompeii, initiated in 2000 and supported by a series of research foundations, most importantly the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Swedish Institute in Rome. This fieldwork provides a platform on which experience and ideas will be put to the test and encourage new approaches. It is also part of an ongoing international effort to make a scientific documentation of the ancient town in order to recover as much information as possible from previously excavated but insufficiently analysed areas. The project is conceived in order to secure remuneration for scholars and students, whether preparing and analysing the results of the fieldwork or conducting independent studies related to it, as well as to finance different kinds of scholarly encounters - national, international and multidisciplinary.