The villa Pausilypon is situated on the Bay of Naples and represents one of the few examples of its kind, that can clearly be assigned to the Roman emperors for a period of at least one and a half centuries. For the first time since the earliest excavations in 1841, it was possible to link all available sources to a reliable plan of the site, which covers approximately 15 acres. Furthermore, a precise documentation of the building remains on the upper terrace was produced, which served as basis for studies regarding the design and construction process, architectural forms and phases of conversion.

In its annual journal the German Archaeological Institute has published an average of seven articles on archaeological subjects ranging from prehistory to late antiquity with special emphasis on the Greco-Roman period since the year 1885. Current questions on the history of art and style, iconography and typology, on the reconstruction of sculpture and architecture, as well as in hermeneutics and the history of science, especially in the field of classical archaeology, but also from other archaeological disciplines, are discussed fundamentally and on the basis of the latest research. The journal publishes research by colleagues worldwide. The contributions, which all undergo a double-blind peer review process, are usually written in German or English, but also in Italian, French or Spanish. Each contribution is supplemented by an abstract in English. The annual volumes are generously equipped and richly illustrated; the illustrations are printed in high quality and partly in color.

Umbauten, Umnutzungen und Umwertungen bestehender Bauten prägten auch die antike Baukultur. In baulichen Veränderungen wie An-, Um- und Einbauten, aber auch in Restaurierungen, Wiederaufbauten und Translozierungen sowie in der Wiederverwendung von Baugliedern und Baumaterialien spiegeln und spiegelten sich politische, ökonomische, gesellschaftliche und kulturelle Transformationsprozesse.