The House of the Oven began as a residence in the 2nd century BC, but underwent a profound transformation during Pompeii’s final years.
After the earthquake of AD 62, much of the ground floor was converted into a bakery, while the occupants probably continued to use the rooms upstairs. A large bread oven was installed, and the former peristyle was paved and turned into a production area containing four large lava-stone mills and basins used at different stages of processing grain.
The mills could be turned by people or animals using beams inserted into their upper sections. The complete skeleton of a mule was found in the stable beside the peristyle.
The House of the Oven provides an especially clear example of how an old Pompeian residence could be transformed into a productive establishment during the final decades before the eruption.
