Visual Experience in a Pompeian Domestic Space: Analysis Using Virtual Reality-Based Eye Tracking and GIS

Ancient sources indicate the importance that views and viewing had in Roman society, particularly in the domestic sphere. Archaeological studies have found evidence of this in the remains of Roman houses while at the same time remarking on the ritualistic character of the activities they hosted. View planning would therefore have been part of the homeowner’s social paraphernalia. Although relevant, these studies have relied on direct experience of physical remains, or models that privileged the single perspective frame. Human perception proves to be more complex, influenced by body and eye movement and illumination. This research, based on three case studies from the House of the Greek Epigrams in Pompeii and combining virtual reality–based eye-tracking technologies and geographic information systems, presents a novel investigation of perception in the Roman house and its manipulation for the construction of social identity.1