Chemical‐petrographic and isotopic characterization of the volcanic pavement along the ancient Appia route at the Aurunci Mountain Pass, Italy: Insights on possible provenance

Abstract

The ancient Appia route was built across central‐southern Italy between the fourth and second century before the common era (B.C.E.). At the Aurunci Mountain Pass, the route crosses carbonate ridges that provided the raw material used to pave the road in the first century C.E. This material was replaced with lava blocks of unknown origin in the third century C.E. The study area is at least 50 km from the main volcanic centers along the peri‐Tyrrhenian side of Italy, such as the Colli Albani, Roccamonfina, and Middle Latin Valley volcanoes. The main objective of this research was the chemical–petrographic and isotopic characterization of rock samples from the Appia flagstones to unravel their possible provenance. The analytical procedure included scanning electron microscope and electron microprobe analyses and 87Sr/86Sr–143Nd/144Nd isotopic measurements. Samples taken from unknown quarries found in the Middle Latin Valley volcanic field underwent the same analyses. After comparing the analysis results with data from the literature, the most likely source area was identified with the Roccamonfina precaldera ultrapotassic sequence. The availability and use of volcanic resources for the construction and maintenance of the ancient Appia route in the investigated territories are only outlined in this work and deserve further study.

The Volsci Volcanic Field (central Italy): eruptive history, magma system and implications on continental subduction processes

“…The latter phase is distinguishable in thin section as either millimeter-sized xenocrysts (i.e., characterized by rounded shape) or microphenocrysts in association with Lct. Otherwise, in the Plgbearing scoria (see below) only the EDS spectra highlight the occurrence of AlkF, likely as high-temperature ternary feldspar (Di Luzio et al 2018). Noteworthy, Lct and Plg did not crystallize together in the analyzed scoria clasts.…”

“…Regarding KS products, the new 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data face the scarcity of suitable minerals for dating. For this reason, in the past, KS lavas were often dated on the groundmass (Boari et al 2009), in which sparse alkali-rich feldspars are present (Civetta et al 1979;Di Luzio et al 2018). Similarly, we derived the ages of Plg-bearing scoria clasts (MOS-2, CA-C1, GdR-1, and POF-3) from few feldspar crystals (Table 3).…”

The use of OBIA and petrography in the study of stone masonry: The case of La Palma, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

“…Archaeologists are increasingly applying provenance analysis to understand how ancient societies developed stonework, revealing that stone choice is a milieu to materialize political interests, ranging from the will of emperors (e.g., Jackson & Marra, 2006; Lancaster, 2005) to the negotiation of competing chiefs (e.g., Reepmeyer et al, 2012; Weisler, 1993). Data about the types of rock used in masonry architecture not only enhance conservation efforts of heritage buildings (e.g., Hyslop et al, 2010; De Kock et al, 2015) but also allow to delve into the sourcing networks to procure stones and the techniques used to work them (e.g., Bevins et al, 2020; Dreesen & Dusar, 2004; Di Luzio et al, 2019). Archaeologists have traditionally viewed stone preferences in size, weight, cultural significance, and aesthetic value, through top‐down approaches that emphasize the managerial role of rulers in the construction of architecture.…”