Why did archaeologists working in Pompeii designate rooms in some Roman houses as "gynaeceum"?

I've been working on images from rooms designated as a "gynaeceum" (women's quarters) in the House of the Vettii. Since Roman women were not sequestered like Greek women in the ancient world, I've wondered what archaeological attributes would prompt Roman scholars to designate such areas in a Roman architectural context.

House of the Vettii VI 15,1 Pompeii 2023 Triclinium “t”, detail of painted figure in medallion at the south end of the east wall (Mau plan) courtesy of Klaus Heese

House of the Vettii VI 15,1 Pompeii 2023 Looking towards east wall of black triclinium “t” (Mau plan) courtesy of Giuseppe Ciaramella

House of the Vettii VI 15,1 Pompeii 2023 Detail from north wall of small courtyard peristyle garden “s” (Mau Plan) courtesy of Johannes Eber

House of the Vettii VI 15,1 Pompeii 2023 North wall of small courtyard peristyle garden “s” (Mau Plan) courtesy of Johannes Eber

House of the Vettii VI 15,1 Pompeii 2023 Small courtyard “s” Detail (2) from upper center of north wall (Mau plan) courtesy of Klaus Heese

House of the Vettii VI 15,1 Pompeii 2023 Small peristyle garden “s”, detail from center of south red panel in west wall at north end (Mau plan) courtesy of Klaus Heese

House of the Vettii VI 15,1 Pompeii 1895 watercolor by Luigi Bazzani Looking north across the small courtyard garden “s” with portico (Mau plan)

From what I have learned, Roman archaeologists attempt to identify areas used primarily by women based on several clues:

Location:

Innermost part of the house: The women's quarters were often located away from the public areas of the house, like the atrium and peristyle. This would be the most private section of the villa.

Room Features:

Smaller rooms: These might be bedrooms for the mistress of the house, her daughters, and female servants.

Evidence of domestic activities: Archaeologists might find artifacts related to spinning, weaving, or childcare, like spindle whorls, loom weights, or toys.

Presence of personal items: Jewelry, cosmetics containers, or hairpins could indicate feminine use of the space.

Decorative elements: Frescoes or mosaics depicting mythological scenes featuring goddesses or family life could be clues.

Context:

Size and wealth of the villa: Larger, wealthier villas might have had more dedicated spaces for women's activities.

Comparison to other villas: Archaeologists would compare the layout and finds to similar villas to see if patterns emerge.

The rooms, designated on Mau's floorplan as "s", "t", and "u" are nestled more deeply in the residence so location may be one of the factors considered in the "gynaeceum" designation.

August Mau's 1907 floor plan of the House of the Vettii in Pompeii

I have not translated the portions of the Pompeianarum Antiquitatum Historia relating the types of artifacts found in this space when the house was originally excavated from 1894-1895 but German classicist E. Hartmann, in his paper, "Women in Antiquity", says:

"Despite the many methodological difficulties which artefact distribution analysis in Pompeii presents, the finds indicate a flexible use of rooms rather than separate women’s quarters. There is not only evidence for the coexistence of diverse activities within the house and its single rooms, but also for the concentrated storage of various domestic items..."

Luren McCardel in her article, Women on the Wall: The Roles and Impact of Women on Hadrian’s Wall, appears to agree with Hartmann stating:

"There is no archaeological evidence to suggest that the standard Roman domus had separate women’s quarters, and we can only speculate as to whether such spaces may have existed on the upper levels of the praetorium, perhaps functioning as nurseries or other necessary domestic spaces.

"Roman houses were generally organized so as to emphasize the visibility of the domina as she managed household affairs and carried out other domestic responsibilities. She would be the first sight a visitor might greet upon entering the atrium, where she might be seen spinning, a task associated with moral purity and one which allowed her to keep an eye on the running of her household. Visibility was the most important theme in classical Roman houses; in addition to the materfamilias being observable in the atrium, the paterfamilias had his own highly visible location in the home, the tablinum, an office or reception space in which he could often be seen working. Prominent houses were characterized by openness, with doors left open to allow passersby to witness the man of the house in his position of power, and his wife in her role of domestic management. In general, however, the spaces of a Roman house were not structurally reflective of men’s and women’s roles; rather, spatial dispositions were achieved through the organization of time, with activities carefully moderated to protect women from the sight of male strangers when necessary. Most rooms (excepting the tablinum) could change their purpose according to need or time of day." - Lauren McCardel, Women on the Wall: The Roles and Impact of Women on Hadrian’s Wall.

As for the imagery, the rooms, like many of the other rooms in the House of the Vettii, feature Dionysiac imagery, including floating maenads, which to 21st century eyes appear to impart a softer, more feminine motif.

House of the Vettii VI 15,1 Pompeii 2023 Triclinium “t”, detail of painted figure in medallion at the north end of the east wall (Mau plan) courtesy of Klaus Heese

But art historian at the University of Bristol, Shelley Hales cautions:

"Few studies of Dionysiac iconography care to reflect on the god's unsavoury sides and the behavioural extremes between which Dionysos and his followers oscillated. In commenting on images of dancing maenads, we overlook their blood-soaked, god-inspired rages. The different sides of the maenad, however, might less easily be separated in ancient imaginations." Shelley Hales, "Diionysos at Pompeii."

Room "t" also features a painting of a drunken Hercules preparing to rape Auge - not exactly a pleasant theme for a space primarily occupied by women, in my opinion.

Hercules preparing to rape Auge from south wall of small triclinium "t" in area designated as a gynaeceum by late 19th century excavators

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