Craftsmanship and Identity in the Hellenistic Funerary Reliefs of Naples: An Archaeological and Archaeometric Analysis

Abstract

Seven Hellenistic stelae with Greek inscriptions found in the ancient city of Naples were examined minero-petrographically (by optical microscopy on thin sections and XRD on powder) and geochemically (by stable isotope ratio analysis) in order to determine the provenance of the constituent marbles. Based primarily on epigraphic evidence, all stelae appear to date from the first century BC and the Early Imperial period, so they are later than those of Ancona, which are the only possible comparison in Italy. Archaeologists have compared the stelae of Naples and Ancona to the products of Greek Delian workshops. The results of the laboratory analyses demonstrate the use of Parian marbles (from Lakkoi and Stephani) only for three stelae, whereas the Lunense marble from Carrara was employed for the remaining four reliefs. The research outcomes suggest that local workshops used small imported blocks of Aegean and Apuan marble. The use of reliefs of a Hellenistic type can be put in the context of a more general response of the community of Naples to the city's new status as a Roman municipium and as part of its cultural strategy to be regarded as an 'authentic' Greek city. By emphasizing its Hellenic origin, at both the private/funerary and institutional/public level, the city of Naples was able to differentiate itself from other Campanian centres and to promote itself in relation to Rome.

Provenance of the white and polychrome marbles used for the architecture and sculpture of roman Sentinum (Sassoferrato, Marche, Italy)

“…2 2 Bardiglio is the name of the dark grey variety (the colour is due to finely dispersed carbonaceous matter/graphite) of marmor lunense , a true marble which was (and still is) quarried in the Apuan Alps (along the Torano, Miseglia and Colonnata valleys) near the present town of Carrara. All facies of marmor lunense were locally used from the fifth century bce by the Etruscans, then in the Hellenistic period (mid‐first century bce ), also outside Tuscany and Latium (Antonelli & Lazzarini 2013b; Antonelli et al, 2017). …”

Archaeometric Study of the White Marbles from “Madonna Della Febbre” Altar in San Domenico Church (Cosenza, Southern Italy)

“…(e.g., homeoblastic structure, polygonal fabric, well visible triple points) all the other data (Mn content, isotopic ratios, accessory minerals) suggest this as a plausible district of provenance. This supposed discrepancy could be explained with the variability observed-both macroscopically and, consequently, microscopically-in the marble outcropping quarried in the Apuan Alps district [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Moreover, different sites of excavation are not easy to distinguish, even with the available isotopic ratios as reported by [16,35,36] regarding the discrimination between the main Carrara quarries Torano, Colonnata and Miseglia.…”

Archaeological and archaeometric investigation of the Roman marble cargos of Porto Cervo (Arzachena, Sassari, Italy) and Secche della Meloria (Livorno, Italy)

“…White marble is an excellent tool for reconstructing the trade routes of the past and studying the relationships between ancient communities (Antonelli, Bonetto, et al, 2017, Antonelli, Colivicchi, & Lazzarini, 2017, Antonelli et al, 2020; Antonelli & Lazzarini, 2013; Beltrame et al, 2019, 2020; Russell, 2013a, 2013b). Obviously, this kind of reconstruction can also be done by considering the distribution, all around the Mediterranean provinces, of sculptures and/or architectural elements made of specific varieties of marble with different geographical origins, but shipwrecks unquestionably provide an invaluable supplementary source of data for these studies.…”