Abstract
The northern suburb of Pompeii, in front of the Vesuvius gate, was excavateddiscontinuouslyfrom the very end of the 19th century and the first decade of the following century. The reinterpretation of archival documents, combined with recent investigations, sheds light on our research focused on the transition from urban to peri-urban, with the aim of better understanding this interface space between the city and its countryside. Our study window allows us to observe the organization and management of a sector where defensive, road, hydraulic, funeral, residential and artisanal structures are articulated, as well as landfill sites set up on public or private land. Seeking to better define the role and functions of peri-urban spaces in the socio-economic history of ancient cities, this project fits in with recent research into the urban peripheries of ancient societies ; far from being limited to the funerary world, it tests the nature of suburban spaces and their multi-functionality, thus defining the city more precisely and in its entirety.
