Tools and Methods of Ancient Gardening

A few tools have survived from sites like Herculaneum and Pompeii that show what was being used for gardening in the Roman world. Fossilized wood and metal remnants have been reconstructed, and the illustration below shows a few of the specific tools. Wooden spades with iron reinforced blades have been found in Pompeii, along with hoes and sickles. Hatchets and knives have also been found in areas used exclusively for gardening, suggesting they were used in pruning or digging. 

(1) A few of the tools used in Roman gardening.

By the end of the 1st century CE, commercial gardening was taking place, and used specific methods. The Garden of Hercules in Pompeii was a commercial tree and flower garden. By using plaster casts to determine plant type, archeologists are able to determine the types of trees and plants grown in a specific area, and have used this information to identify the commercial nature of the garden. Ancient gardeners would start plants in small clay pots, until the sapling stage, and then either sell them to customers or transfer them to the main garden. The clay would be cracked but not removed for easy planting, and the whole base of the plant would be put into the ground. As the roots grew stronger, the clay would break apart. Presumably, some of these were producing trees for harvest and sale of fresh fruit. One of the most commonly occurring commercial gardens was the vineyard, and some have been recreated in Pompeii, such as the one below, just inside the city walls. 

Replanted vineyard just inside the North gate of Pompeii

Pompeii also had extensive irrigation, allowing gardens to be more exquisite and complex. The introduction of an advanced aqueduct system allowed water to be directed into the gardens and into water retention pools for easy watering. Likely, the gardens of Pompeii were very beautiful due to this technology. The aqueduct and irrigation system changed the structure of gardens to include more canals and water features, both for aesthetic and for storage of water. The images below of a recreation of a Pompeii garden represent what it may have looked like (although without water). 

 Garden in Pompeii at the Casa di Octavius Quartto,

featuring a large waterway.

Works Cited:

·        Jashemski, Wilhemina F. “The Campanian Peristyle Garden.” Ancient Roman Gardens. Edited by Lois Fern. Dombarton Oaks: Washington, DC. 1981. Page 34, 36, 48.
      
      Carroll, Maureen. Earthly Paradises: Ancient Gardens in History and Archaeology. London: British Museum Press, 2003. Pages 93-95.

      http://www.pompeiisites.org/allegati/cartina_pompei_2015_150306120057.pdf

I    Image Sources:

     (1) https://www.marxists.org/archive/childe/1944/tools/fig39.jpg

     All other images taken by the author, June 11th, 2016.