The house with the skeleton was named after a
human skeleton found during excavations in 1831. His body was found
in a room on the second floor. Before the excavation of the Boat
Docks, it was believed that most of the inhabitants of Herculaneum
escaped by land or by swimming across the Strait of Naples. The
house with the skeleton consists of three houses that were purchased
by the owner of the house. He just broke down the walls, connecting
them into a single mansion. At the back of the atrium, there are two
Nymphaeum shrines dedicated to nymphs. In the courtyard there is an
altar for the lares, decorated with mosaics. Lara according to the
beliefs of the ancient Romans was a deity who patronized the home,
family and community as a whole.
Interestingly, the house of
the Skeleton does not have the usual pool-impluvium or reservoir for
collecting rainwater. Whether this was done on purpose or the
resident owners didn't have the resources to add this traditional
architectural touch to their home, we don't know.