A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Archaeological Mortars from the Town ofAmmaiain the Roman Province of Lusitania (Portugal)

Abstract

The Roman town of Ammaia (in Marvão Region) is considered one of the most important recent findings of the Roman presence in Portuguese territory. It was settled in Republican times and abandoned in the seventh century. In this research, 17 masonry mortars and renders from the West Tower (South Gate), the residential area near the West Tower, the macellum, the peristylium, the public bath building, the podium of the temple and the portico of the forum were analysed. The methodology of chemical, mineralogical and microstructural characterization has involved several complementary techniques, including stereomicroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The results indicate that the mortars from the beginning of the town's edification were mainly composed of soil (clays). Later, during the main Roman building period, mortars were composed using a calcitic binder and the mortar composition varied according to their use and function. The samples from a period subsequent to the Roman occupation are based on a dolomitic binder. From the present study, relevant information has been acquired about the technological evolution of Roman construction in Ammaia, the historical context of the archaeological structures and guidelines for the conservation and restoration of mortars.

The Transformation and Christianisation of Urban Landscapes in Central Lusitania during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages: the Cases of Ammaia and Ebora Iulia

“…Finally, an analysis of the mortars was carried out (Cardoso et al, 2013). The results of the study of material culture and numismatic findings have already supported this first evaluation.…”

The history of Portuguese interior plaster coatings: A mineralogical survey using XRD

“…), with the exception of one sample from the beginning of the edification of the city of Ammaia that was revealed to be a mud mortar (Cardoso et al . ). The presence of aggregates, or minerals associated with them, was always detected in those cases.…”

Limestone Provenance in Roman Lime‐Volcanic Ash Mortars from the Villa dei Quintili, Rome

“…These results are in agreement with the existing literature since it is known that the Roman builders used to employ an aerial lime (obtained by firing a pure limestone) with the addition of pozzolanic and/or ceramic fragments, following the directives of the architect Vitruvius in his manual of Roman architecture De Architectura (Giuliani, ; Gros, ). These recommendations were observed even outside the Italian territory, such as in Great Britain, where the Romans made hydraulic lime with high calcium and ceramic fragments instead of using the clayish limestone that could have produced a natural hydraulic lime (Van Balen, ), or in Spain where pure limestone was used instead of a local dolomitic limestone (Robador & Arroyo, ; Cardoso et al., ).…”