Building Trajan's Markets 2: The Construction Process

Abstract

The well-preserved state of many parts of Trajan's Markets provides the opportunity for a detailed study of the building techniques used there, which in turn sheds light on the construction process. Topics included in this paper are the planning of the drainage, design of multi-story buildings with noncongruent plans, and organization and protection of the building site. They are discussed in relation to specific archaeological evidence from various parts of the Markets, such as the use of relieving arches, brick vaulting ribs, metal dowels and clamps, and travertine corbels and lintel arches. The results show that some structural and constructional elements within the building appear to have been intended to aid the construction process rather than to provide any long term functional or structural benefit. In the summary of each section, the archaeological findings presented in that section are examined in relation to broader questions dealing with the building industry, such as the use of scale drawings, the relationship between the architect and the builder, and the legal responsibility for the protection of the site during construction. Finally, two case studies involving a wider range of complexities are presented: the Aula at Trajan's Markets and the Trajanic latrine at the Forum of Caesar.