Roman Marble Research Articles

Steinmetzwerkzeuge aus dem römischen Marmorsteinbruchrevier Spitzelofen (Österreich)

ZusammenfassungIm Zuge eines archäologischen Surveys im römischen Marmorsteinbruchrevier Spitzelofen im Jahr 2021 wurden unter anderen zwei Steinmetzwerkzeuge gefunden, welche die bisherige Anzahl von über 30 Steinbruchwerkzeugen von dieser Lagerstätte erweitern. Bei den Neufunden handelt es sich um Werkzeuge für die eigentliche Steinbearbeitung, d. h. für das Zurichten der abgekeilten bzw. herausgebrochenen Steinblöcke zu Roh- bzw. Halbfertigprodukten: ein zweibahniger Hammer mit ausschwingenden Enden und ein schmaler Breitmeißel. Der Hammer (lat. malleus) kann einem Hammertyp zugewiesen werden, der als archäologisches Fundstück rar, jedoch in einigen Reliefdarstellungen, zumeist auf Grabdenkmalen, von der Zeitenwende bis zum Ende des 3. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. nachzuweisen ist. Auf diesen Grabdenkmalen erscheint dieser Hammertyp stets als Teil eines Werkzeugsets, zumeist mit Messwerkzeugen und Meißeln (lat. scalpra) kombiniert. Die dargestellten Werkzeuge kennzeichnen – in einem Fall auch durch die Grabinschrift belegt – das berufliche Umfeld des Verstorbenen als Marmorarius, als eine mit Marmor arbeitende Person, dessen Arbeitsbereich sich von der Steingewinnung bis zur Herstellung von Objekten und Bauten aus Marmor erstrecken kann. Entgegen der häufigen Annahme, dass sich Werkzeuge der Steinbearbeitung bis zur Neuzeit kaum verändert haben, zeigen sie doch charakteristische Eigenschaften ihrer Zeit.

Roman Marble Collections in the Earth Sciences Museum of the University of Bari (Italy): A Valuable Heritage to Support Provenance Studies

The Earth Sciences Museum of the University of Bari (Italy) boasts the presence of a precious and complete nineteenth-century collection of white marbles and colored stones used by the Romans to embellish their buildings and, afterward, reuse in new buildings and artworks for their high symbolic and aesthetic value. This collection, arranged by Francesco and Filippo Belli, consists of 577 samples and a printed inventory and other documents, which allowed to reconstruct the history of the collection. Another collection of 29 marble samples was donated to the museum in 2010 by the Armenise family. Both collections represent a very useful reference tool in provenance studies for marble pieces at the archaeological and artistic sites and for samples of other collections. The systematic organization of these collections and their sharing among scholars, especially through the web network, is clearly essential. The work presented here focuses on the most recent discoveries about Belli’s collection, on the results of the identification of Armenise’s marbles and stones, and above all, on the actions undertaken in recent years in order to valorize this museum’s heritage. Specifically, both collections were reorganized following novel insights about lithotypes and the provenance of each sample, a detailed database including data on each sample was created, and a website reporting information and images of the two collections was built in order to guarantee the correct dissemination of data.

A Roman Marble Cargo from a Shipwreck at Porto Cervo, Sassari, Sardinia, Italy

Results of laboratory analyses of samples of marble blocks found in a shipwrecked cargo at Porto Cervo demonstrate that they were almost certainly from the Apuan Alps, which implies that the ship c...

A Process of Glocalisation? Roman Marble Imports and the Rise of Blocked-Out Capitals in Local Stone

In the Augustan Age, a new aesthetic preference was propagated in the Roman Empire – the surface of white marble was valued as it symbolised the strength and superiority of the ‘new age’. Soon, an immense trade in high quality marble over land and sea developed to meet the emergent demand. While the development and scale of this trade is well studied, the repercussions that the new aesthetic preference had on the local architectural traditions in areas where no marble was close at hand is not commonly considered. In this contribution, two developments are traced, taking the Corinthian capital as the leitmotif. First, in the short period between c. 40 and 10 BC, patrons would choose imitation of marble in plaster to meet up with the demands of the new standard and to demonstrate their adherence to the Empire. In the second line of development, a different path was taken – a conscious use of local materials which went hand in hand with the development of a new type of capital, the so-called ‘Nabataean blocked-out’ capital. This combination turned into a new vernacular tradition across large parts of the eastern Mediterranean. Both developments were local responses to a new ‘global’ trend and can therefore be viewed as a phenomenon of glocalisation in the Roman Period.

Roman Marble Sculptures from the Sanctuary of Pan at Caesarea Philippi/Panias (Israel). By Elise A. Friedland


 
 
 The Roman Marble Sculptures from the Sanctuary of Pan at Caesarea Philippi/Panias (Israel). By Elise A. Friedland. American Schools of Oriental Research Archaeological Reports, vol. 17. Boston: American Schools of Oriental Research, 2012. Pp. xiii + 186, illus. $89.95. [Distributed by ISD, Bristol, Conn.]
 
 

Marks of Imitation or Signs of Originality? An Approach to Structural Supports in Roman Marble Statuary

Marks of Imitation or Signs of Originality? An Approach to Structural Supports in Roman Marble Statuary

Roman marble from Lusitania: petrographic and geochemical characterisation

This paper reports the results of an archaeometric study of the marble from the Estremoz Anticline, Portugal. Thirty-four samples from eleven different locations were analysed petrographically. In addition, ten samples were selected for trace element and strontium isotopic analysis. The sampling was aimed at obtaining material from known ancient quarries and at establishing the overall petrographic and geochemical variation of the marble from the Estremoz Anticline. The main type of marble in Estremoz is a white(-veined), calcitic marble with an average maximum grain size between 0.81 and 3.50 mm. 87Sr/86Sr values of marble leachates range from 0.70850 to 0.70891 and are similar to the results for other Palaeozoic marbles of the Iberian Peninsula.In addition, a workflow is proposed for distinguishing Estremoz from non-Estremoz marble. For this, the Estremoz marble signature is compared to that of other known Roman marbles of the Iberian Peninsula (Viana do Alentejo, Almeria group, Malaga group, and Almadén de la Plata), as well as to that of the principal classical marbles from the Mediterranean (Carrara, Paros, Naxos, Pentelikon, Hymettos, Dokimeion, Thasos, Aphrodisias and Proconnesos).

The Roman Marble Sculptures from the North Hall of the East Baths at Gerasa

In 1984, Jordanian archaeologists discovered five Roman marble sculptures in the North Hall of the East Baths at ancient Gerasa (modern Jerash, Jordan). Traditionally, in the Roman Near East, marble sculptures have been studied as objets d'art, while their role as cultural artifacts has often been overlooked. Nothing could be clearer evidence of "cultural choice," however, than the importation and display of Roman marble sculptures, carved in non-native stone and sculpted in non-local Graeco-Roman style. Because their architectural, artistic, and social contexts are largely preserved, these sculptures offer an ideal case study for cultural assimilation, urbanization, and the decoration of baths. They were displayed in the basilical hall of an imperial-style bath, indicating that the Gerasenes adopted the Roman cultural institution of bathing and its architecture. Their sculptural style, carving technique, and isotopic data reveal origins in Thasos and Asia Minor, demonstrating the participation of Arabia in the imperial marble trade. Sixteen statue bases (found with the sculptures) preserve information about the patrons, honorees, and subjects. The sculptural installation suggests that the North Hall may have been constructed and decorated in the second half of the second century A.D. with a possible renovation in the early third century. By the third century, the display included mythological figures, portraits of local elite, a governor of Arabia, and Caracalla, revealing the desires of the Gerasenes to participate in Roman political and social arenas. Thus, the sculptures of the East Baths demonstrate the prominent role of statuary in urbanization and Romanization of Arabia and the ancient Near East.

A Multi‐Disciplinary Contribution to the Provenance Determination of Ancient Greek and Roman Marble Artifacts

AbstractThe problem of determining the provenance of the white marble used for antique artifacts has been tackled in different ways. During the past decade it became clear that a multimethod approach is required to solve the problem. In addition, reliable reference material, i.e., samples collected at the ancient quarry sites in an archaeologically and geologically justified manner, turned out to be a prerequisite for reliable provenance determination. A multimethod approach based on petrography, stable isotope analysis of O and C, and trace element analysis yields complementary information. These methods were applied to the same set of 225 quarry samples. When processed with powerful statistical methods, the data thus obtained allowed all major types of marble used in antiquity to be distinguished. Thus, most problems concerning the provenance of artifacts can be solved. This approach was successfully applied to the provenance determination of about 75 artifacts from different museums in Europe and the USA.

Palmyra and the Roman Marble Trade: Evidence from the Baths of Diocletian

‘Rise up and go into the world to release it from error and send word to the Jinn that I give them leave to build Tadmor with hewn stones and columns.’Al-Nabigha al-Dhubyain (7th century)

Isis Pelagia and a Roman Marble Matrix from the Athenian Agora

Isis Pelagia and a Roman Marble Matrix from the Athenian Agora

A Find of Roman Marble Statuettes at Knossos

The material described below was found in November 1974 in a building plot in Knossos, property of Mr. Constantinos Vlachakis. The initial discovery consisted of six marble sculptures (S.6, 8–11 and 19) and a base (S.22) found in digging Foundation Pit 1 (Fig. 2). The Antiquities Service guard, Mr. Mitsos, who supervised the opening of the pits, stopped the work and reported the find to Dr. St. Alexiou in the Herakleion Museum. On the latter's request, H. W. Catling immediately undertook a limited investigation, in the course of which nineteen more fragments of sculpture came to light, and the structural features described below. The work lasted three days (11–13 Nov. 1974) with the help of two workmen. At its completion, approval was given for the continuation of the building.

A Roman Marble Head from Sussex

The British Museum acquired in November 1961 a Roman marble portrait head (pl. XLVI) found at Broadbridge, three miles west of Chichester (fig. 1). It was given to the museum by the late Captain A. W. F. Fuller through the National Art-Collections Fund.