Classical Marble: Geochemistry, Technology, Trade

NATO ASI Series Advanced Science Institutes Series

ASeries presenting the results of activities sponsored by the NA TO Science Committee, which aims at the dissemination of advanced scientific and technological knowledge, with a view to strengthening links between scientific communities.

The Series is published by an international board of publishers in conjunction with the NATO Scientific Affairs Division

A Life Sciences B Physics

C Mathematical and Physical Sciences

D Behavioural and Social Sciences E Applied Sciences

F Computer and Systems Seien ces G Ecological Sciences H Cell Biology

Series E: Applied Sciences - Vol. 153

Plenum Publishing Corporation London and New York

Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht, Boston and London

Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, London, Paris and Tokyo

Classical Marble: Geochemistry, Technology, Trade edited by

Norman Herz University 01 Georgia, Athens, GA, U.SA

and

Mare Waelkens N.F.S.R. and Catholic University 01 Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

.... " Springer-Science+Susiness Media, SV.

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Marble in Ancient Greece and Rome: Geology, Quarries, Commerce, Artifacts II Ciocco, Lucea, Italy May 9-13, 1988

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

ISBN 978-90-481-8313-5 ISBN 978-94-015-7795-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-015-7795-3

AII Rights Reserved © 1988 by Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1988 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1988

No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission Irom the copyright owner.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS

Chapter 1 J.B.WARD-PERKINS AND THE MARBLE COMMITTEE Dario Monna 3

Chapter 2 GEOLOGY OF GREECE AND TURKEY: POTENTIAL MARBLE SOURCE REGIONS Norman Herz 7

Chapter 3 QUARRIES AND THE MARBLE TRADE IN ANTIQUITY Mare Waelkens, Paul De Paepe and Lue Moens 11

Part 11 QUARRIES AND QUARRYING TECHNOLOGY

Chapter 4 EXTRACTION OF BLOCKS IN ANTIQUITY: SPECIAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS

29

·31 Tony Kozelj

Chapter 5 PROBLEMS OF IDENTIFICATION AND INTERPRETATION OF TOOL MARKS ON ANCIENT MARBLES AND DECORATIVE STONES Jean-Claude Bessae 41

Chapter 6 METHODS OF TRANSPORTING BLOCKS IN ANTIQUITY Manuela Wureh-Kozelj 55

Chapter 7 THE QUARRIES OF MOUNT TAYGETOS IN THE PELOPONNESOS, GREECE Frederiek A. Cooper 65

Chapter 8 MARMORA LUNENSIA: QUARRYING TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHAE­OLOGICAL USE Enrico Dolei 77

Chapter 9 THE GEOLOGY, QUARRYING TECHNOLOGY AND USE OF BEY­LERKÖY MARBLES IN WESTERN TURKEY 85 Needet Türk, S. 9ak~c~, Durhan Mustafa Uz, S. Akga and K.Geyik

Chapter 10 NUMIDIAN MARBLE AND SOME OF ITS SPECIALITIES Gertrud Röder 91

Chapter 11 THE ROMAN QUARRIES OF MONS CLAUDIANUS, EGYPT AN INTERIM REPORT David P.S.Peaeoek 97

Chapter 12 ANCIENT GRANITE QUARRIES ON THE BOCCHE DI BONIFA­CIO Roger J.A.Wilson 103

vi

Part 111 PRELIMINARY DRESSING OF EXTRACTED MATERIAL 113

Chapter 13 THE STAGES OF WORKMANSHIP OF THE CORINTHIAN CAPI­TAL IN PROCONNESUS AND ITS EXPORT FORM Nusin Asgari 115

Chapter 14 THE MARBLE ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS IN EXPORT-FORM FROM THE SILE SHIPWRECK Müren Beykan 127

Chapter 15 PRODUCTION PATTERNS OF SARCOPHAGI IN PHRYGIA Marc Waelkens 139

Part IV TRADE AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL USE OF MARBLE 145

Chapter 16 THE ROMAN EMPERORS IN THE MARBLE BUSINESS: CAPI­TALISTS, MIDDLEMEN OR PHILANTHROPISTS? J.Clayton Fant 147

Chapter 17 MARBLE IN CYPRUS: CLASSICAL TIMES TO MIDDLE AGES Demetrios Michaelides, Norman Herz and Giraud V.Foster 159

Chapter 18 MARBLE IMPORTS AND LOCAL STONE IN THE ARCHITECTU­RAL DECORATION OF ROMAN PALESTINE: MARBLE TRADE, TECHNIQUES AND ARTISTICAL TASTE Moshe Fischer 161

Chapter 19 THE INTRODUCTION OF POLYCHROME MARBLES IN LATE REPUBLICAN ROME: THE EVIDENCE FROM MOSAIC PAVEMENTS WITH MAR­BLE INSERTIONS Frederico Guidobaldi and Antonio Salvatori 171

Chapter 20 THE MARBLES USED IN THE DECORATION OF HADRI­AN1S VILLA AT TIVOLI Antonio Salvatori. Daniela Trucchi and Frederico Guidobaldi 177

Chapter 21 FROM WEST TO EAST: EVIDENCE FOR A SHIFT IN THE BALANCE OF TRADE IN WHITE MARBLES Susan Walker 187

Chapter 22 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STYLE AND SIZE OF STATUARY AND THE AVAILABILITY OF MARBLE AT CYRENE Susan Kane and Sam C. Carrier 197

Chapter 23 ACROLITHIC OR PSEUDO-ACROLITHIC SCULPTURE OF THE MATURE CLASSICAL GREEK PERIOD IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY John Pollini 207

Chapter 24 MATERIAL LIMITATIONS AND EXOTIC MATERIALS IN THE COPYING OF A HELLENISTIC STATUARY TYPE Anne Weis 219

vii

Chapter 25 ~ARBLE VENEER FROM AN URBAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE IN NAPLES: A CASE STUDY Amanda Claridge

Part V TECHNIQUES FOR DETERMINING PROVENANCE: MULTIVARIATE PETROGRAPHICAL AND CHEMICAL APPROACHES

Chapter 26 WEATHERING CHARACTERISTICS, AGE, AND PROVENANCE DETERMINATIONS ON ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN MARBLE ARTIFACTS Stanley V.Margolis and William Showers

Chapter 27 A MULTI-METHOn APPROACH TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF ',mITE MARBLES USED IN ANTIQUE ARTIFACTS Lue Moens, Peter Roos, J. De Rudder, Paul De Paepe, J. Van Hende and Mare Waelkens Charter 28 PROVENANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF CYCLADIC (PAROS AND NAXOS) MARBLES. A MULTIVARIATE GEOLOGICAL APPROACH Klaus Germann, Gottfried Gruben, H.Knoll, V.Valis and F.J.Winkler

Chapter 29 CHEMICAL AND PETROGRAPHICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GREEK MARBLES FROM PENTELIKON, NAXOS, PAROS AND THASOS Peter Roos, Lue Moens, J. De Rudder, Faul De Faepe, J. Van Hende and Mare Waelkens

229

231

233

243

251

263

Part VI TECHNIQUES FOR DETERMINING PROVENANCE: TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS 273

Chapter 30 PROVENANCE STUDIES OF GREEK MARBLES BY INSTRU­MENTAL NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS Apostolos P.Grimanis and Maria Vassilaki-Grimani

Chapter 31 A COMPUTER-BASED PATTERN RECOGNITION APPROACH TO THE PROVENANCE STUDY OF MEDITERRANEAN MARBLES THROUGH TRACE ELEMENTS ANALYSIS

275

Emilio Mello, Sandro Meloni, Dario Monna and Massimo Oddo- 283 ne

Chapter 32 NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS: A POWERFUL TECH­NIQUE IN PROVENANCE STUDIES Sandro Meloni, Massirno Oddone, Ernilio Mello and 293 Dario l10nna

Jart VII TECHNIQUES FOR DETERMINING PROVENANCE: STABLE [SOTOPE ANALYSIS 303

Chapter 33 THE OXYGEN AND CARBON ISOTOPIC DATA BASE FOR CLASSICAL MARBLE Norman Herz 305

viii

Chapter 34 GEOCHEMISTRY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL GEOLOGY OF THE CARRARA MARBLE, CARRARA, ITALY Naney E.Dean 315

Chapter 35 VARIATIONS IN STABLE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF MARBLE: AN ASSESSMENT OF CAUSES David B.Wenner, Sherri Havert and Andrew Clark 325

Chapter 36 VARIABILITY IN STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS: IMPLICA­TIONS FOR JOINING FRAGMENTS Keith J.Matthews 339

Chapter 37 STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF STABLE ISOTOPE DATA Morven N. Leese 347

Part VIII TECHNIQUES FOR DETERMINING PROVENANCE: XERORADIO­GRAPHY, ESR SPECTROSCOPY, X- RAY POWDER DIFFRACTOMETRY, AND PORE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION 355

Chapter 38 MARBLE PROVENIENCE BY COMPUTER- ASSISTED ANALY­SIS OF XERORADIOGRAPHS Giraud V.Foster, Harry Loats, Norman Herz and David B. 357 Wenner

Chapter 39 ESR SPECTROSCOPY AND X-RAY POWDER DIFFRACTOMETRY FOR MARBLE PROVENANCE DETERMINATION Roger V.Lloyd, A.Tranh, S.Pearee, M.Cheeseman and 369 D.N.Lumsden

Chapter 40 THE INTEREST OF PORE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF MARBLES - SUCTION TESTS Elda De Castro 379

Part IX PROVENANCE DETERMINATION APPLIED TO ANCIENT ARTIFACTS

Chapter 41 SOURCE ANALYSIS OF THE RAW MATERIALS OF FOUR CLASSICAL MARBLE SCULPTURES USING CHEMICAL, MICROSCOPIC AND ISOTOPIC CRITERIA

387

Paul De Paepe, Lue Moens, Peter Roos and Mare Waelkens 389

Chapter 42 DETERMINATION OF THE PROVENANCE OF MARBLES USED IN SOME ANCIENT MONUMENTS IN ROME Lorenzo Lazzarini, Maurizio Mariottini, M.Peeoraro and 399 Patrizio Pensabene

Chapter 43 THE ARCH OF CONSTANTINE: MARBLE SAMPLES Patrizio Pensabene 411

Chapter 44 ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS OF SEVENTH-CENTURY B.C. PERIRRHANTERIA Jane Burr Carter 419

Chapter 45 THE USE OF MARBLE ANALYSIS IN COLLECTIONS OF AN­CIENT SCULPTURE: SOME EXAMPLES FROM THE NY CARLSBERG GLYPTO­TEK Mette Moltesen 433

Chapter 46 PROVENANCE INVESTIGATION OF MARBLES FROM DELPHI WITH ESR SPECTROSCOPY Yannis Maniatis, Vicky Mandi and A.Nikolaou 443 Chapter 47 MARBLE SAMPLES FROM THE ARCH OF CONSTANTINE IN ROME: RESULTS OF ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE AND ATOMIC EMISSION ANALYSIS Dante Cordischi, Dario Monna, B.Passariello and Patrizio 453 Pensabene

Part X DECAY AND CONSERVATION 463

Chapter 48 THE DECAY AND CONSERVATION OFMARBLES ON ARCHAEO­LOGICAL MONUMENTS Josef Riederer 465

Chapter 49 A COMPUTERISED SYSTEM FOR THE STUDY AND CONSERVA­TION OF OPUS SECTILE PAVEMENTS Neda Parmegiani and Frederico Guidobaldi 475

Preface

Marble in Ancient Greece and Rome: Geology, Quarries, Commerce, Artifacts

Marble remains the sine qua non raw material of the an­cient Greeks and Romans. Beginning in the Bronze Age sculptu­re began in marble and throughout classical times the most im­portant statues, reliefs, monuments and inscriptions were made of it. Yet, quarry sources changed in time as preferences for different marbles were influenced by local traditions, the pos­sibilities of transport, esthetic tastes, and economics. Marble studies and the identification of the provenance of marble can thus reveal much about Greek and Roman history, trade, esthe­tics and technology.

Persons in many disciplines are studying various aspects of Greek and Roman marble usage. Geologists and geochemists are working on methods to determine the provenance of marble; ar­chaeologists are noting changing patterns of import and use in excavation~ and discovering how improving quarrying techniques and prelimihary dressing of the extracted material influenced the final shape of artifacts; ancient historians are now under­standing quarry organization and bureaucracies that controlled marble production and trade; art historians are seeing how phy­sical characteristics of the stone affected the techniques and style of sculpture; architects and engineers are interested in quarry technologies and usage in building construction. These specialists drawn from many disciplines rarely have an opportu­nity to compare notes and see how each can contribute to the research effort of others. The chapters of this book reflect the important developments taking place in each discipline and identify the frontiers that are currently being explored.

The book has ten parts. Part one contains two general chapters anthe geology, the technology and the trade of ancient marble, as weIl as a tribute to John B. Ward-Perkins.

Part two is concerned with the study of several quarries and with their quarrying techniques.

The papers jn part three look at the preliminary dressing of artifacts in or near the quarries, and especially at the various stages of workmanship o~ architectural elements and sarcophagi, and their export form.

Part four deals with the organization of the marble trade by the Roman emperors and with the archaeological use of marble by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Some papers discuss the im­port of marble in specific parts of the ancient world, the shifting balance of the marble trade or the changing taste for specific marbles. Others look at the impact of the availabili­ty of marble on style and siz~ and at the materiallimitations set by marble in copying statuary.

Parts five to eight consider the various techniques for determining the provenance of marble: first of all some multi­variate petrographical and chemical approaches, then some very specific techniques, such as trace element analysis, stable i­sotopic analysis, xeroradiography, ESR spectroscopy, and final­ly pore-size distribution.

Part nine contains papers in which the various techniques for determining provenance mentioned above, have been applied to ancient artifacts or buildings.

The chapters of part ten consider matters of decay and conservation of ancient marble.

All of the chapters of this book are based on papers pre­sented at an Advaneed Research Workshop held at 11 Ciocco (Cas­telvecchio Pascoli, Lucca), Italy, May 9 - 13, 1988. This in­ternational and interdisciplinary meeting was attended by ar­chaeologists, architects, geologists, geochemists and art his­torians all of whom have made considerable contributions to marble studies in the past. While this volumeis the most tan­gible product of the meeting, the interchanges among the parti­cipants from the various disciplines were highly stimulating and have led to contacts and collaborations among those who at­tended the meeting. It allowed the archaeologists and museum curators to state their problems, and to appreciate and select the proper approach to the varied problems encountered during their research. In fact, the virtues and shortcoming.s of all possible techniques for determining the provenance of marble were made clear by the geologists and the geochemists. The excitement generated a~ the meeting led to aresolution to ac­tivate a committee on studies of ancient marble so that the fruits of this initial contact between the different discipli­nes will not be lost.

We acknowledge with deep gratitude the support of NATO's Scientific Affairs Division in sponsoring this meeting. We also are indebted to the Samuel H.Kress Foundation for assisting in the travel of some participants.

Norman Herz Mare Waelkens

Contributors to this Volume

S. Akga, Dokuz Eylül University, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Geological Engineering Department, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey

Nu~in Asgari, Ibrlktar Sokak, Mutlu Apt. 18/8, Kügükbebek, Is­tanbul, Turkey

Jean-Claude Bessac, 5,rue de la Calade, Montpezat, F-30730 Saint-Mamert, France

Müren Beykan, Yaliboyu Caddesi 69, Beylerbeyi, Istanbul, Turkey

S.Qaklci, Dokuz Eylül University, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Geological Engineering Department, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey

S.C.Carrier, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio 44074, USA

Jane Burr Carter, Dept. of Classics, Tulane University, New Or­le~ns, Louisiana, USA

~.Cheeseman, Department of Chemistry, Memphis State University, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA

Andrew Clark, Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA

Amanda Claridge, The British School at Rome, Via Antonio Gram­sci 61, 1-00197 Rome, Italy

Fred Cooper, Department of Classics, University of Minnesota, 310 Folwell, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA

Dante Cordischi, Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita La Sapien­za, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 1-00185 Rome, Italy

Nancy E.Dean, U.S.E.P.A., 345 Cortland Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30365, USA

Elda De Castro, Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Ave­nida do Brasil 101, P-1799 Lisboa Codex, Portugal

Enrico Dolci, Museo deI Marmo, Viale XX Settembre, 1-54033 Car­rara, Italy

J.Clayton Fant, Department of Classics and History, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 4432, USA

Moshe Fischer, Department of Classical Studies, Tel Aviv Uni­versity, P.O.B. 39040, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel

Giraud V. Foster, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Park B2- 202B, Balti­more, Maryland 21205, USA

xüi

xiv

Klaus Germann, Institut für Angewandte Geologie, Freie Univer­sität Berlin, Wiehernstrasse 16, D- 1000 Berlin 33, Federal Republic of Germany

K.Geyik, Dokuz Eylül University, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Geological Engineering Department, Bornova, Izmir

Apostolos P. Grimanis, Radioanalytical Laboratory, N.R. Center Demokritos, GR- 15310 Aghia Paraskevi Attiki, Athens, Greece

Frederico Guidobaldi, Conservazione delle opere d'arte, Centro C.N.R., Via Monte d'Oro 28, 1-00186 Rome, 1taly

Sherri Havert, Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA

Norman Herz, Department of Geology, University of Georgia, A­thens, Georgia 30602, USA

Susan Kane, Department of Art, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio 44074, USA

Tony Kozelj, Ecole Frangaise d'Athenes, Didotou 6, GR-10680 Athens, Greece

Lorenzo Lazzarini, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Uni ver­sita La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 1-00185 Rome, 1taly

Morven N.Leese, Research Laboratory, The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, United Kingdom

Roger V. Lloyd. Department of Chemistry, Memphis State Univer­sity, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA

Harry Loats, Loats Associates 1nc., Westminster, Maryland, USA

D.N.Lumsden, Department of Chemistry, Memphis State University, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA

Vicky Mandi, Research Laboratory for Archaeometry, N.R.Center Demokritos, GR-15310 Aghia Paraskevi Attiki, Athens, Greece

Yannis Maniatis, Research Laboratory for Archaeometry, N.R.Cen­ter Demokritos, GR-15310 Aghia Paraskevi Attiki, Athens, Greece

Stanley V.Margolis, Department of Geology, University of Cali­fornia, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA

Maurizio Mariottini, Istituto Centrale deI Restauro, Piazza S.Francesco di Paolo 9, 1-00186 Rome, Italy

Keith J. Matthews, Department of Scientific Research, The Bri­tish Museum, London WC1B 3DG, United Kingdom

Emilio Mello, Syremont, Via Principe Eugenio 5, 1-20155 Milano

xv

Sandro Meloni, Dipartimento di Chimica Generale, Universita di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 1-27100 Pavia, Italy

Demetrios Michaelides, Paphos Museum, Paphos, Cyprus

Luc Moens, Institute for Nuclear Sciences, University of Gent, Proeftuinstraat 86, B-9000 Gent, Belgium

Mette Moltesen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Dantes Plads, DK-1556 Copenhagen, Denmark

Dario Monna, Istituto per le Tecnologie Applicate ai Beni Cul­turali, C.N.R., P.O. Box 10, 1-00016 Monterotondo, Italy

Massimo Oddone, Dipartimento di Chimica Generale, Universita di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 1-27100 Pavia, Italy

Paul De Paepe, Laboratory of Geology, University of Gent, Krijgslaan 281, B-9000 Gent, Belgium

Neda Parmegiani, Istituto Miceneo ed Egeo-Anatolico, Via G. Della Bella 18, 1-00161 Rome, Italy

David S. Peacock, Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Southampton S09 5NH, United Kingdom

S.Pearce, Department of Chemistry, Memphis State University, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA

Patrizio Pensabene, Via Paraguay 5, 1-00198, Rome, Italy

John Pollini, Department of Art History, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0292, USA

Josef Riederer, Rathgen-Forschungslabor., Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Schlossstrasse 1a, D-1000 Berlin 19, Federal Republic of Germany

Gertrud Rüder, Südallee 66, D-5400 Koblenz, Federal Republic of Germany

Peter Roos, Institute for Nuclear Sciences, University of Gent, Proeftuinstraat 86, B-9000 Gent, Belgium

Antonio Salvatori, Conservazione delle Opere d'Arte, Centro C.N.R., Via Monte dlOro 28, 1-00186 Rome, Italy

William Showers, Department of M.E.A.S., North Carolina &tate University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27650-5068, USA

A.Tranh, Department of Chemistry, Memphis State University, Memphis, Tennessee 38152, USA

Necdet Türk, Dokuz Eylül University, Engineering and Architec­ture Faculty, Geological Engineering Department, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey

xvi

Daniela Trucchi, Conservazione delle Opere d'Arte. Via Monte d'Oro 28. 1-00186 Rome, 1taly

Mustafa Duran Uz, Mimarllk Bölümü, Dokuz Eylül University. Bor­nova. 1zmir, Turkey

Maria Vassilaki-Grimani, Radioanalytical Laboratory, N.R. Cen­ter Demokritos, GR-15310 Aghia Paraskevi Attiki, Athens, Gree­ce

Marc Waelkens, Department of Archaeology, Catholic University of Leuven, Blijde 1nkomststraat 21, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

Susan Walker, Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities. The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, ITnited Kingdom

Anne Weis, Department of Fine Arts, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA

David B. Wenner, Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA

Roger Wilson, School of Classics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland

Manuela Wurch-Kozelj, Place Henri Dunant 13, F-67000 Stras­bourg, France