Roman Architecture Research Articles

3D Reconstruction of a Roman Bridge in Canosa di Puglia (Italy)


 The Roman bridge near Canosa di Puglia (Southern Italy) currently has a very different morphology from the one planned by its builders in the second century AD as part of the program for the construction of the Via Traiana. Although the piers, the abutments and the foundation platea are still preserved from the Roman age, the changes made over the centuries have altered its aspect, forgetting the traces of its monumental past. Starting from the surviving elements and the few available sources, an investigation has been carried out to reconstruct its original structure, thanks to a multidisciplinary and metrological approach and the combined use of aerophotogrammetry and 3D modeling. The usage of these technologies proved to be an essential tool, since they made it possible to carry out a survey otherwise hampered by the bulk of the artifact and the presence of the Ofanto River flowing below. The outcome of this research has led to a reconstruction hypothesis that returns a majestic monument that deserves an adequate place in the panorama of Roman architecture. 
 

A Theoretical Framework for Informal 3D Rendered Analysis of the RomanLarariumfrom Apollonia-Arsuf

AbstractDigital reconstruction and visualization of archaeological sites are beneficial not only for public edification and admiration, but they can also significantly contribute to the site interpretation process. By going beyond basic modeling scenarios, one can apply 3D analyses for accurately testing visibility and lighting parameters, among other aspects. Based on the results of these tests, further insights can be extrapolated about the lived experience of culturally specific ancient peoples. The case of a Roman “villa” at Apollonia-Arsuf in Israel presents the opportunity to apply these informal techniques to a household shrine, or niche-stylelararium, found within the building in order to ascertain sightline visibility based on the architectural plan and visual impact as a result of artificial illumination from ceramic lamps. This paper also considers how photorealistic visualizations aid in phenomenological areas of research through sensory archaeology and sense of place, which in turn encourages reflection on the political, social, and religious meanings of the built environment. When we combine the power and diverse applications of 3D visualization technology with decades of research about Roman architecture, culture, religion, and social norms, the result is a step closer to recreating archaeological remnants and, in turn, understanding the ancient experience.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM: FROM THE ORIGINS TO LATE ANTIQUITY. By FikretYegül and DianeFavro. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2019. Pp. xvi + 897. $300.00.

Religious Studies ReviewVolume 47, Issue 2 p. 225-225 Short Reviews Of Recent Publications: Greece, Rome And Greco-Roman Period ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM: FROM THE ORIGINS TO LATE ANTIQUITY. By Fikret Yegül and Diane Favro. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2019. Pp. xvi + 897. $300.00. First published: 08 August 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/rsr.15237Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume47, Issue2June 2021Pages 225-225 RelatedInformation

Traditional Architecture in Romanian Philately (II): the Case Study Regarding Households from Chiojdu Mic, Curteni and Curtișoara

As the traditional Romanian architecture is little known abroad and sporadically threatened with major changes due to the incursions of various neo-modernist architectural currents, it is appropriate to bring back to the attention of the general public, the image of what was and still is there. In this context, this study aims to emphasize the beauty and uniqueness of traditional architecture in terms of the tools offered by Romanian philately. Knowing that philately is an ambassador of promoting Romanian cultural values locally, but also abroad, the present study tried to outline this aspect in relation to the ethnographic and architectural specifics. Thus, the architectural specificity of three areas is desired, this time from the localities of Chiojdu Mic (Buzău), Curteni (Vaslui), and Curtișoara (Gorj), using stamps, illustrated postcards, and other philatelic effects. The results of the investigation, carried out through the consultation of sites with predominantly philatelic content (on platforms such as Colnect®, Delcampe®, PicClick®, StampWorld®, etc), confirm the preoccupation of the Romanian thematic philately for the local architecture; at the same time, indicate the availability of the community towards the promotion of the cultural heritage.

Traditional Architecture in Romanian Philately (V): Case Study Regarding Households in Nereju, Ostrov, Sălciua de Jos, Șanț and Sârbova

Traditional architecture is integrated into the landscape, is adapted to the environment, and uses local natural materials. These are the general features. In fact, in each area there are their own and recognizable elements that ensure the local specificity. In this context, the present study aims to emphasize the beauty of traditional Romanian architecture in terms of philately. It is desired to expose the architectural specifics from the other five areas. This time it is the turn of illustrated postcards and other philatelic effects from Nereju (Vrancea), Ostrov (Constanța), Sălciua de Jos (Alba), Șanț (Bistrița-Năsăud) and Sârbova (Timiș) to come to the fore. What do these households have in common? Each of them suggests the idea that the new architecture should not imitate the old one. But it must respect the local specificity, assuming at the same time the moment when it was created. There is no need for constructions that imitate the architecture of 100-150 years ago (shown in the philatelic effects exposed), but for constructions that respect the spirit of the place.

Building technique of the Theater at ancient Messene

AbstractThis paper reports and examines the building techniques of the recently excavated Messene Theater in Greece. In the Hellenistic period, both traditional building materials (poros and limestone) and methods (masonry, jointing, and transportation) were employed in the Messene Theater. The massive retaining wall of the auditorium and the skenotheke were built using limestone, but local poros stone was favored for use in the retaining wall of the parodos and other parts of the building. Traces of traditional joint and lifting techniques (dowels, clamps, lifting ropes, and lewis) have been observed. In the Roman imperial period, both Roman building materials (marble, granite, and brick) and local traditional masonry have been observed. The white and multi‐colored marble applied to the scaenae frons was most likely delivered from quarries from both local and other provinces. Remarkably, the mason marks on the stone blocks of the Roman imperial period suggest a systematic modification by previous building materials. Similarly, the vaulting of the Roman scene building seems to have been built using cut‐stone voussoirs instead of fired‐brick. The observed building techniques of the Messene Theater suggest a conservative tendency in provincial Roman Greece.

Traditional Architecture in Romanian Philately (IV): the Households from Ieud, Jurilovca, Mastacăn, Moișeni and Năruja

The cultural heritage is not only represented by the historical architectural monuments, but also by the architecture of wooden churches or traditional houses. It must be seen as a valuable heritage that, through proper management, can become a source of community well-being. It is important to preserve traditional architecture. To be able to build or restore adapted to modern needs, and respect the local architectural specifics. In this context, the study tries to emphasize once again the beauty of traditional Romanian architecture. This time in terms of philately. We want to expose the architectural specifics from five areas – Ieud (Maramureș county), Jurilovca (Tulcea), Mastacăn (Neamț), Moișeni (Satu Mare) and Năruja (Vrancea). Using illustrated postcards, and other philatelic effects, scenes from the outside and inside of the households in question are presented. The results of the research itself, not numerous, can be reorganized in the form of thematic exhibitions. Such events can contribute to increasing the attractiveness of the area among tourists.

Traditional Architecture in Romanian Philately (I): the Case Study Regarding Households from Audia, Bancu and Berbești

Vernacular and traditional architecture occupies a central place in the soul and pride of all people and has been accepted as a characteristic and attractive product of society, with a formal image. There is talk of a utilitarian architecture, which possesses interest and beauty, and which retains in the contemporary memory of the history of society. At the same time, it is unworthy of human heritage if this traditional harmony is not preserved, which is, in fact, the core of the human experience. In this context, the purpose of this study is to emphasize the beauty of traditional Romanian architecture in terms of philately. We want to expose the architectural specifics of three areas - Audia (Neamț), Bancu (Harghita), and Berbești (Maramureș) using postage stamps, illustrated postcards and other philatelic effects.

Comparative approaches on urban planning: Alvar Aalto’s assistant from Italy — an interview with Vezio Nava

Vezio Nava (Fig. 1) was born in Rome, Italy, in 1936. He started studying architecture in Rome but graduated from the Helsinki University of Technology (formerly the Polytechnic, now Aalto Universi...

Estimation of airborne radon concentration inside historical Roman building at southeastern, Egypt

Abstract Earth crust is the elementary source of radon gas. The presence of radioactive gases like radon and thoron in the surrounding environment is fundamentally due to the existence of these radionuclides or their parents in the soil, rocks, and building materials which are based on the earth's crust. So, it is needful to estimate these hazard radionuclides content in the ambient environments. The remnants of Roman buildings are located in in the Seila area, south-eastern, Egypt. A model masonry building is used to evaluate the indoor radon concentration. Airborne radon concentration was determined in a room with a volume dimension of 29.8 m3 and a surface area of 49.6 m2, with an air exchange rate of 1 h−1. The detection of uranium contents in the building materials of the roman house using a handled spectrometer RS-230. The estimated radon flux density JDb is 2 ± 0.46 mBqm−2s−1. The indoor radon concentration-related radon flux density was estimated at 20 Bqm−3. This value is lower than the worldwide average of 40 Bqm−3 with indoor annual effective dose ERn, indoor (mSv) 0.6 mSv. This value is also lower than the worldwide effective dose of 1 mSv according to UNSCEAR.

Masonries and stone materials of Romanesque architecture (Northern Italy)

A complete record of Romanesque buildings (10th-13th centuries) was surveyed to detect the use of stone materials. The lithological variety of Northern Italian territory allowed the choice of several building stones: glacio-fluvial deposits (pebbles and cobbles, river Po high plain); igneous rocks of plutonic bodies and metamorphic rocks (Basement, Alps); sedimentary rocks of Mesozoic formations (Prealps); sedimentary rocks of tertiary formations (Monferrato; Apennine); clays of the alluvial sediments converted into bricks (river Po low plain). Generally, these materials bore different kinds of masonries: pebbles laid in horizontal courses with thick mortar joints; rough blocks of different shape laid in irregular courses; dressed stones laid in horizontal courses with thin mortar joints; bricks laid in regular courses. The reuse of stone materials of Roman buildings is another character of Romanesque masonries. This study involves, for each building, the identification of stones and the description of the masonry.

Plant invasion as an emerging challenge for the conservation of heritage sites: the spread of ornamental trees on ancient monuments in Rome, Italy

Cultural heritage sites such as historical or sacred areas provide suitable habitats for plants and play an important role in nature conservation, particularly in human-modified contexts such as urban environments. However, such sites also provide opportunities for the spread of invasive species, whose impact on monuments has been raising growing concerns. The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of distribution and spread of invasive plants in heritage areas, taking the city of Rome as an example. We focused on woody species as they pose the greatest threat to the conservation of monuments, owing to the detrimental effects of their root system. We analysed changes in the diversity and traits of native and non-native flora growing on the walls of 26 ancient sites that have been surveyed repeatedly since the 1940s. We found that the diversity of the native flora has steadily decreased, while there has been an increase in non-native, larger and more damaging species. The introduced species that have expanded most are ornamental wind- or bird-dispersed trees, which represent a major management problem as their propagules can reach the upper sections of the monuments, where they become more difficult to control. The most widespread and damaging of such species is Ailanthus altissima, which has recently been included among the invasive species of European Union concern (EU Regulation 2019/1262). Our findings show that plant invasion is an emerging challenge for the conservation of heritage sites and needs to be prioritized for management to prevent future expansion.

Conspicuously Inconspicuous

Can we interpret fascist buildings beyond the circumstances of their creation, addressing their multiple afterlives while acknowledging their shameful origin? Federico Baronello’s photographic project EUR_Libya (2011–2013) offers an answer. He photographed iconic fascist buildings in Rome but digitally altered them to include Libyan flags, and logos of the Libyan National Bank and of Italian corporations enmeshed in the economy of Italian former colonies. I address Baronello’s aesthetic choices as a questioning of notions of centre-periphery in the narrative on Italian fascism. Baronello’s project gives visual form to the fascist dream of the Mediterranean as ‘Mare Nostrum’ or ‘Our Sea’, while showing its post-war legacy in the economic relations between Libya and Italy. I also analyse how EUR_Libya challenges architectural photography and its pretences to documentary truth, as well as photomontage, a medium with a loaded history as an avant-garde tool also commonly used in Italian fascist propaganda.

Definition of analytical cleaning procedures for archaeological pottery from underwater environments: The case study of samples from Baia (Naples, South Italy)

This work is focused on a multidisciplinary study of 13 pottery fragments collected in the submerged archaeological site of Baia (Naples, Italy). Founded by the Romans in the 1st century B.C., this archaeological area represents one of the greatest evidences of Roman architecture and it includes ancient ruins whose structures range from maritime villas and imperial buildings. Several diagnostic tests were carried out in order to characterize the archaeological materials, their structure and properties, as well as the alteration and degradation products. Degradation forms in seawater imply not only a variation in the physico-mechanical and chemical properties of the material but also an aesthetic damage, due to superficial deposits, which can lead to the illegibility of the artefacts. In this context, it is crucial to determine to what extent these decay factors, mainly attributable to biological growth, could affect the durability of pottery and what are the effects of cleaning procedures. The work offers further elements to obtain new insights into the underwater cultural heritage field and in the function of ceramic matter, especially related to several applications in technology and in the adoption of strategies for suitable conservation procedures.

Applying the Depreciated Replacement Cost Method When Assessing the Market Value of Public Property Lacking Comparables and Income Data

The growing interest in the enhancement, management, and sale of public building stock has increased the importance of their valuation and, as a result, the need to identify suitable methods for estimating value that take into account their peculiarities. They often boast architectural features (interfloor distance, layout, finishings, types of wiring/heating systems, etc.) that make them ‘extraordinary’ assets; in some cases, these features also endow them with monumental and/or historical importance. Thus, when valuating, it is necessary to adopt suitable methods. Where comparable examples or income-based parameters specifically concerning buildings with special features are lacking, the Depreciated Replacement Cost (DRC) method is the only system that can be used to estimate their market value. This paper aims to show how the DRC method can be applied in this specific market. The theoretical part will be coupled with a practical section where the DRC method will be used to estimate the market value of an extraordinary landmark building in Rome (Italy), the Palazzo degli Archivi di Stato (the State Archives building), in the EUR district, sold by EUR S.p.A. group (formerly known as Ente EUR) in 2015.

The Roman Ashlar Groin Vault at Grotta dei Massacci

Some authors have downplayed the importance of complex vaulted systems in ashlar in Roman architecture. This has led them to seek the origins of Early Modern stonecutting in Christian Syria or Languedocian Romanesque. However, some examples in many regions of the Empire, including Lazio, argue for the existence of advanced stonecutting techniques in the Roman world. In this paper, we will study an interesting example of these structures, the Grotta dei Massacci in Osteria Nuova, now in the municipality of Frasso Sabino. Starting with a precise survey carried out by 3D laser scanning and automated photogrammetry, we will put forward some hypotheses about its measurement system, proportion, stonecutting technique and the hoisting systems used in its execution.

Managing food storage in the Roman Empire

One of the most remarkable facets of the Roman Empire was its food supply system. The second century grammarian Aelius Aristides described Rome as the warehouse of the world, lauding the capital not only for its wealth of exotic goods, but also for holding all the foods of the world (To Rome 12–13). Many settlements across the Roman Empire's expansive territory were connected to one another via roads and trade routes, and were also able to acquire food from distant places. In addition to having access to different foods, Roman consumers were able to have them almost year-round. When one considers that many agricultural goods were harvested once a year, their year-round availability, storage, and transport are further appreciated. This paper considers how, without technology such as refrigeration, Roman builders constructed warehouses and cellars and potters produced containers that not only protected goods, but also helped stabilize temperatures and humidity levels to store foods properly for potentially long periods of time. Granaries throughout the Mediterranean, for example, were equipped with raised floors, small and secure windows, and thick walls in order to provide cool, ventilated rooms for grain coming into the capital. Farmers and merchants used large ceramic storage containers, such as dolia and pithoi, to stabilize temperatures year-round for goods such as wine, olive oil, and fish sauce (garum). Furthermore, the placement and installation of the vessels, whether in a north- or south-facing room, mostly buried, or mostly exposed, could not only extend the shelf-life of their contents, but also help protect their quality. By processing foods, using ceramic containers, and building well-designed warehouses, inhabitants of the Roman Empire were able to adapt to and have some control over the arid and fragmentary microclimates of the Mediterranean basin.

Reconstrucción virtual del anfiteatro de Tarragona a través de la procesión inaugural

<p>This paper is focused on a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of Tarragona’s amphitheatre. The intention is to improve the current museography of the monument, which poorly performs its main purpose: cultural heritage dissemination. Firstly, most of the grandstands and the main entrance are the results of a partial restoration carried out during the 1960s, based more on pragmatic rather than scientific criteria, and with many historical inaccuracies. Secondly, the worship complex, consisting of a sanctuary on the arena and another one down of, goes unnoticed by most visitors. Finally, the only area where the grandstands remain, and the only one where someone can understand the vaulted construction technique, it is not available for public entrance.</p><p>Facing this situation, the present reconstruction proposal provides people with a useful tool to comprehend the Roman building, especially where the remains are poorly preserved or inaccurately restored. In this regard, a set of rendered images has been created and, by such means, people can compare the reconstruction of the Roman building with its current remains. For this purpose, scientific methods have been employed, as well as 3D modelling technologies. First and foremost, all publications relating to Tarraco’s amphitheater have been thoroughly reviewed. Then, the archaeological remains have been redrawn using CAD tools. Henceforth, the plans and sections have been reconstructed, 3D modelled and rendered.</p><p>While the reconstruction was being developed, Roman ludic processions were found to be an interesting topic that could serve as a common thread. This way, the sectors to be reconstructed were sequenced as follows. First, the eastern entrance or Porta Triumphalis, which led the entourage to the arena. Second, the upper sacellum, where the priests conducted the liturgies to inaugurate the games. Third, the southern area, through which the gladiators and the authorities left the arena to their positions (for the first group, the service's rooms located in the underground, while for the second one, the authorities stand). Last but not least, the sanctuary under the arena, where the gladiators could perform their last prayers before the combat began.</p><p>Along with the text below, images of the reconstruction can be found next to photographs of the state of preservation, following the aforementioned sequence. Therefore, Figures 2, 3 and 4 explain the image and functioning of the main entrance (Porta Triumphalis): while Figures 2 and 4 show virtual restorations from the inside and the outside, Figure 3 presents the development of the corridor in section and plan. Figures 6 and 7 display how the upper sanctuary had looked like from the arena and once inside respectively. Figures 9 and 10 are a 2D restoration of the southern area, where its role as a hub can be understood. Figure 11 shows the southern sector from the outside, where the double entrance can be appreciated, as well as the outside stairs used by the authorities to climb to the first level and one of the multiple configurations that the façade could have taken. Figure 12 reproduces the authorities stand as the Roman spectators would have seen it. Finally, Figures 13 and 14 are images of the lower sacellum, as seen by the gladiators down the arena and in axonometry together with the upper sanctuary.</p><p>In summary, this work aims to improve the museography of Tarragona’s amphitheatre. An immediate application would be including the images in the signposting. Furthermore, they can be used as a basis to undertake a bigger project to adapt the whole museography to be better understood by society.</p><p>Highlights:</p><ul><li><p>Reconstrucción del anfiteatro de Tarragona presentada a través de un catálogo de imágenes realizadas mediante software de tratamiento 3D.</p></li><li><p>Propuesta para la divulgación del patrimonio arqueológico a través de una reconstrucción virtual didáctica e históricamente rigurosa.</p></li><li><p>Interpretación de los restos arqueológicos del anfiteatro de Tarraco desde una nueva óptica: las ceremonias de inauguración de los juegos.</p></li></ul>

Archaeological landscape in central northern Istria (Croatia) revealed by airborne LiDAR: from prehistoric sites to Roman centuriation

This paper presents the results of a research aimed at investigating by airborne LiDAR the ancient landscape of a sector of central northern Istria (Croatia) from prehistory to Roman times. The area, approximately corresponding to the territory of Oprtalj/Portole, is located in a strategic position just north of the mid–Mirna/Quieto river, an important waterway connecting coastal Istria with the inlands since prehistory. The elaboration of high-definition LiDAR data compared with aerial and satellite images, historical cartography and field surveys allowed us to identify unreported prehistoric and Roman features and also get detailed topographic information about already known sites. Beside a few protohistoric hill forts discovered in the past, an open-air Neolithic or Copper Age site, a probable Bronze Age burial mound and three small protohistoric fortifications have been identified. These hill forts are clustered around a north-south valley, which represents a preferential access route from the larger Mirna valley to the karst plateau north of Oprtalj/Portole. In the same plateau, small Roman buildings associated with enclosures and probable artificial ponds have been interpreted as remains of farmsteads related to small-scale herding and agricultural activities. In the southern sector of the investigated area, consisting of marls, sandstones and fertile soils, large scatters of archaeological materials sometimes associated to outcropping features are probably the remains of larger structures characterized by a well-developed agricultural economy. Particularly interesting is the identification of fossil rectilinear land division features that overlap with the cardines of Istrian centuriation. Before our study, centuriation was identified only in the territories of Porec/Parenzo and Pula/Pola, hence believed not to extend beyond the Mirna river. The new evidence revealed by LiDAR and satellite images, however, shows that a large part of central and northern Istria, between the Mirna and the Dragonja rivers, was divided by the same grid. Based on these considerations, the archaeological evidence here presented makes the Istrian peninsula one of the largest areas in the entire Roman world to have undergone a single planned land division survey.

The New Jerusalem: Wealth, Ancient Building Projects and Revelation 21–22

Scholarly interpretations of the descent and description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21–22 have tended to evaluate the city against biblical and extra-canonical descriptions of the Jerusalem Temple, apocalyptic accounts of heaven and ancient utopian literature in general. While some have noted the ways in which the New Jerusalem parallels the description of Babylon elsewhere in the Apocalypse, no one has yet considered the ways in which the New Jerusalem mimics, mirrors and adapts the excesses of elite Roman architecture and decor. The argument of this article is that when viewed against the backdrop of literary and archaeological evidence for upper-class living space, the luxury of the New Jerusalem is domesticated and functions to democratise access to wealth in the coming epoch. The ways in which Revelation's New Jerusalem rehearses the conventions of morally problematic displays of luxury can partially explain later patristic discomfort with literalist readings of this passage.