The origins and development of the macellum are an extensively debated and complex subject among scholars. The earlist mention of the macellum was in the second half of the third century BCE by Titus Maccius Plautus (a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period; circa 254 – 184 BCE). The macella were modeled after the agora of ancient Greek and Hellenistic cities, except that there was no wholesale trade at these marketplaces. The last of the macella are known to be still in operation in Constantinople in the sixth century CE.

These macellum structures were commonly found in Roman cities and towns, serving as a central location where citizens could purchase fresh produce, meats, fish, and other goods. The macellum often featured a large, open courtyard surrounded by a colonnade, with various shops and stalls around its perimeter. In many cases, it included a central building or rotunda, sometimes with a fountain or pool, which served as a focal point of the market. The design and layout of the macellum facilitated the efficient distribution and sale of food, contributing to the daily life and economy of Roman urban centers.

circa

A macellum is one of the easiest structure to be identified in the archaeological record due to its distinctive architectural design. In most cases it features shops arranged around a central courtyard, which usually contains one or two tholos (a circular or octagonal structure typically elevated on a podium), with a ring of columns supporting a domed roof. The macellum is usually square or rectangle shaped, with the central courtyard surrounded by uniform or varying sized shops, known as tabernae. Some macella were constructed with additional upper stories. Entry to the macellum could be through central gates on each of the four sides or via some of the tabernae themselves. Notably, the butchers' shops (carnificēs) were often grouped in one area of the macellum, equipped with marble counters to keep the meat cool and drains for water and fluid waste removal.

The central tholos, well-supplied with water and drains, is believed to have been used for selling fish, as evidenced by excavated fish skeletons. However, it may also have served other purposes, such as housing official weights and measures or shrines to the gods of the marketplace, inferred from the discovery of coins. In some macella, a water fountain or feature replaced the tholos in the courtyard center. This central water feature is a defining characteristic of a macellum.

However, there are some exceptions to this tabernae surrounding a courtyard with one or more tholos, like that of Timgad. The macellum, also known as the Sertius Market, at Timgad features a single hemicycle attached the southern short side of a rectangular structure oriented north-south.

circa 130-120 BCE

Pompeii
The Macellum of Pompeii was a large indoor marketplace located near the city center, on the northeast corner of the forum. The macellum, focal points of the ancient city, was a key commercial hub where local vendors sold a variety of goods, including fresh produce, meats, fish, and other food items.

The macellum was constructed around a rectangular courtyard, surrounded by colonnades and small shops or stalls. The central courtyard likely served as a gathering space for shoppers and sellers alike. Various sections of the Macellum were designated for specific types of products, organized to facilitate trade and shopping. Archaeological evidence suggests the presence of stone counters and shelves where goods were displayed.

The macellum of Pompeii played a crucial role in the daily life of the city, providing essential food supplies to residents and serving as a social and economic center where people gathered to exchange goods and news.

circa 9-8 BCE

Leptis Magna
The macellum at Lepcis Magna (in Tripolitania), financed in 9-8 BCE by Annobal Himilchonis Tapapius Rufus, the local sufet, flamen and praefectus sacrorum, is of peculiar construction with two central kiosks. This is not the only unusual thing about the macellum, the Lepcitan market-building was within an economic system, where the profits were reinvested by some local families Romanized in order to realize personal and political agendas. Furthermore, this monumental marketplace was also the architectonic translation of a spontaneous Punic marketplace experience in antiquity revised in according to the Roman culture and architecture.

The stalls were arranged along the two circular kiosks at the centre of which there were basins where fish/meat and the knives employed for butchering and cutting them were washed. Expensive materials were involved in the construction of the marketplace and its buildings were accurately designed.

circa 100 CE

Pozzuoli
The Macellum of Pozzuoli featured an arcaded square courtyard, encircled by two-story buildings. Shops were lined up along the marble-floored colonnade, creating an arcade supported by 34 grey-coloured granite columns. The main entrance and vestibule were aligned on a central axis, which extended through a tholos in the courtyard's center to the exedra, a worship area with a portico formed by four large cipollino marble columns. The exedra contained three niches for statues of protective deities, including a sculpture of Serapis.

The tholos, located in the center of the square, was a circular building on a podium accessible via four symmetrically placed stairways, with sixteen African marble columns supporting a domed vault. Friezes featuring marine animals adorned the base of the tholos. The courtyard had four secondary entrances along its longer sides, with latrines situated in the corners of the colonnade and four probable tabernae that had both external entrances and access from the arcade.

circa 120 CE

Timgad
The macellum at Timgad, commonly known as the Market of Sertius, was the comestibles marketplace in the Roman period city of Timgudi. This is one of the few instances where the plan of the marketplace departes from the usual by far. The Market of Sertius in Timgad, also known as the Macellum, was constructed in the early second century CE. This period aligns with the significant development and expansion of the city of Timgad, which was founded by Emperor Trajan around 100 CE. The market was part of the city's infrastructure to serve the growing population and their needs.

circa 125 CE

Gerasa
The macellum of Gerasa, constructed as a food market in the first half of the second century CE, was part of a large and significant transformation of the urban area along the southern cardo. Adhering to the typical design of Roman functional buildings, the macellum was utilized in various ways from the second quarter of the second century until the eighth century CE, undergoing multiple modifications to serve different purposes.

The entrance to the macellum from the cardo is marked by prominent higher columns, with the four central columns standing at the height of ten meters and those on the left at approximately 7.20 meters hight. Fountains were added to the two outer corners of the roughly fifty-meter-wide facade on the cardo. A Greek inscription on the north-eastern fountain honors Julia Domna, the second wife of Emperor Septimius Severus, dating the fountain to his reign from 193 to 211 CE. The south-eastern corner, with remnants of the fountain, is visible in the provided photo.

The entrance to the macellum, located behind the high porticoes on the Cardo, consists of three gateways about 4.85 meters high with stepped frames and a vestibule about 10 meters wide and over eight meters deep. Flanking this entrance area were four two-story shops on each side. From the vestibule, doors led into adjacent tabernae and small chambers next to the two eastern exedrae (the southern one was later rebuilt).

Originally, the two-story Macellum had a nearly square floor area of about 50 by 50 meters. The octagonal courtyard, paved with limestone slabs, was surrounded by a peristyle with 24 Corinthian columns similar to those on the Cardo. On the rear (western) side, a rectangular vestibule with doors on the left and right served as the rear entrance. The southeastern exedra was later converted into two rooms and used as a stable. The tabernae, featuring simple barrel vaults in two rows on each side of the courtyard, were also converted and reused over time.

The walls of the Macellum were constructed from hewn limestone blocks, likely sourced from a nearby quarry. This soft stone, rich in clay, has a yellowish hue. Most of the walls were covered with marble panels or plastered with white and red painted stucco. The octagonal fountain in the center of the courtyard featured a basin in the shape of a cross with a small shrine in the center. This fountain was dismantled during the Byzantine period, with its parts found scattered throughout the courtyard.

In the southwestern exedra, a cylindrical limestone block with a pipe hole and traces of a spout was discovered. This block belongs to the well in the center of the courtyard, fitting perfectly on the central well base. A Greek inscription on this block, dated to 125-127 CE, honors Tiberius Iulius Iulianus Alexandras, the praetor and Roman governor of the province of Arabia, who likely initiated the construction of the Macellum of Gerasa. His name also appears in a second, nearly identical inscription on a pedestal found in the southern peristyle.

Stone supports for macellum mensae, the sales tables used by merchants to display their goods, are preserved in the southwestern exedra. These table bases are decorated with high reliefs depicting a lion, a deer, and a wild boar, illustrating the detailed craftsmanship of the period.

circa 117-138 CE

Sagalassos
The Macellum in Sagalassos was constructed during the early second century CE, specifically around the reign of Emperor Hadrian, which spanned from 117 to 138 CE. The construction of this market was part of the broader urban development projects that took place in Sagalassos during this period.

The second phase of excavations at the Macellum yielded significant insights into this ancient marketplace located in Sagalassos. Uncovering the northern half of the central courtyard, archaeologists revealed well-preserved features such as a limestone pavement, a rainwater collection gutter beneath the portico's roof, and a low staircase supporting the colonnade. Notably, two circular gameboards carved into the pavement added to the site's architectural and recreational history.

Detailed study of the collapsed north portico fragments provided a clearer picture of the original Corinthian colonnade layout. These fragments also included parts of a Greek dedicatory inscription honoring Publius Aelios Antiochos Akulas, the local builder of the Macellum, and originally mentioning Emperor Commodus, albeit erased. This inscription, along with others found previously on different porticoes, highlighted the civic pride and architectural dedication prevalent in Sagalassos during its heyday.

Moreover, investigations into the Macellum's later phases uncovered modifications to the rainwater drainage system, suggesting ongoing adaptations to improve functionality. The discovery of a blocked drainage tunnel beneath the gutter blocks raised questions about changes in maintenance practices or the urban environment over time. Rich finds from this period, including coins, ceramics, and food-related remnants, underscored the bustling commercial and social activity that once thrived within this ancient marketplace.