Within the last three decades intensive research has been undertaken on domestic architecture in the Vesuvian cities. Recent studies hint at a growing gap regarding investigations of early domestic architecture, mainly in Regio VI, and studies which are focused on houses as social and economic units. While discussions on building phases, room functions, finds and its contexts and the social interpretations of the domestic sphere became more and more detailed, we still lack comparable information to step beyond the discussion of ground-plans for the mid-republican period or even earlier phases. Although progress has been made it remains highly questionable whether we can talk about an aristocratic society in Pompeii before the 2nd century BC.