Geological observations of excavated sand (<i>harenae fossiciae</i>) used as fine aggregate in Roman pozzolanic mortars

Jackson, M.; Marra, Fabrizio; Deocampo, Daniel M.; Vella, A.; Kosso, Cynthia; Hay, Richard L.

doi:10.1017/s1047759400005304

Cited by 27 publications

(70 citation statements)

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“…In previous work, we resolved discrepancies among Latin transcriptions of De Architectura dating to A.D. 900; made new, literal, translations of Vitruvius' empirical observations of the raw materials of Roman mortars and concretes; and identified the provenance of volcaniclastic aggregates in concretes of several Republican Era monuments constructed between 121 and 30 B.C. (Jackson et al, 2007). Geologic maps showing ancient quarries for these building materials in Rome and its surroundings appear in Jackson and Marra (2006).…”

Section: Historical Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…a Jackson et al, 2007. b Marra and Rosa, 1995. c "Cappellaccio" is Tufo del Palatino tuff or Grottarossa Pyroclastic Sequence tuff; "grayish yellow tuff" is Tufo Giallo della Via Tiberina; "brownish red tuff" is Tufo Lionato; "peperino" is Lapis…”

Section: Imperial Periodmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We then describe the primary volcanic and secondary alteration components of Pozzolane Rosse ash from quarries and boreholes through the Roman region. These data provide a straightforward method for determining the lithological provenance and the "alteration provenance" (Jackson et al, 2007) of aggregates in the ancient mortars and their 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating and paleopedological processes from marine isotope stages 12 to 9, with respect to glacial terminations (T V through T III ) determined by mild summer insolation minima (gray shaded areas) compared with those predicted by orbital tuning of the deep-sea d 18 O curve (dashed lines) from Lisiecki and Raymo (2005) (after Marra, Florindo, & Boschi, 2008). Numerals (1 through 8) situate volcanic eruptions and pedological events.…”

Section: Geologic Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Romans used Campi Flegrei pumiceous tuffs from the Bay of Naples for maritime concretes (Oleson et al, 2004;Vola & Gotti, in press;Goldsworthy & Min, 2009). In contrast, mortars of Roman Imperial Age monuments, 1st through 3rd centuries A.D. (Table I), generally contain altered scoriae with traces of authigenic surface coatings from the Pozzolane Rosse ignimbrite (Jackson et al, 2007). When combined with hydrated lime calcined from limestone bedrock, Campi Flegrei ash (pulvis puteolanus) and Roman excavated volcanic sands (harenae fossiciae) produce pozzolanic reactions, as described by Vitruvius in De Architectura 2.6.1-2.6.6 (27-31 B.C.).…”

Section: Historical Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), are composed of tuff cut stone masonry and concretes with friable pozzolanic mortars (Table I). These mortars contain aggregate from the reworked volcanic and sedimentary sands of the San Paolo and Aurelia Formations (Jackson et al, 2007) deposited by the Tiber River and its tributaries at the base of the Capitoline Hill (Marra & Rosa, 1995;Alvarez et al, 1996;Corazza, Lombardi, & Marra, 2004). Vitruvius described such light gray (cana) excavated sands as earthy (terrosa) and insufficiently rough for durable mortars.…”

Section: Historical Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mid‐Pleistocene pozzolanic volcanic ash in ancient Roman concretes

et al. 2009

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The extraordinarily durable concretes of Imperial Age (27 B.C. through 3rd century A.D.) monument construction in Rome contain scoriaceous, highly potassic, altered volcanic ash from the Pozzolane Rosse ignimbrite, erupted at 456±3ka from the Alban Hills volcano as pozzolanic mortar aggregate. Stratigraphic, micromorphological, and chemical investigations demonstrate that during the relatively warm, humid period preceding marine isotope stage 11, intensive hydrolytic pedogenesis produced dense illuvial clay coatings in the upper horizon of the ignimbrite. Moderately altered ash of the Pozzolane Rosse transitional Bt to Bw soil horizon has opal coatings overlain by limpid, illuvial halloysite coatings. Less weathered ash from a lower C horizon apparently was altered in ground water. Where the ignimbrite filled certain paleovalleys, zeolitic alteration produced phillipsite and chabazite textures. Builders selected ash from these intermediate and least altered horizons for the highest‐quality mortars of the Imperial Age, as for the Forum and Markets of Trajan (A.D. 107 to 113). The alumina‐ and alkali‐rich compositions of cementitious complexes give some preliminary insights as to why the reaction of hydrated lime with the altered, alkali‐rich Pozzolane Rosse ash produced pozzolanic cements that have remained resistant to decay for nearly 2000 years. The results of the geological analyses fully confirm empirical observations made by Esther B. Van Deman in 1912 regarding the durability of the ancient mortars and the technical choices of Roman builders. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Section: Historical Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Imperial Periodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geologic Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Historical Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Historical Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mid‐Pleistocene pozzolanic volcanic ash in ancient Roman concretes

et al. 2009

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Scientia in Republican Era Stone and Concrete Masonry

Jackson¹,

Kosso²

2013

A Companion to the Archaeology of the Roman Republic

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

et al. 2015

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Roman mortars were collected from the Villa dei Quintili in Rome, an archaeological site consisting of numerous edifices from nine construction phases dating from the 2nd century A.D. to modern times. A multianalytical approach was used on 34 mortar samples to infer the evolution of production techniques over time and to identify the source area of calcareous raw materials used in the preparation of the lime. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy-dispersive system, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were used to study the samples. The major and trace element data were compared with the compositions of two types of limestone samples (Calcare Massiccio and Calcare Maiolica) collected from the Cornicolani Mountains. The results suggest that the technological practices and the calcareous raw materials used for lime production remained unchanged over the time period considered (2nd century A.D. to 3rd century A.D.). The compositions of lime-related particles in the mortars match those of Calcare Maiolica, which suggests its use as raw material for lime production. On the whole, the results are in agreement with data from existing literature regarding both the use by Roman builders of specific raw materials for the mortars' production and the relative supply area. C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Geological observations of excavated sand (harenae fossiciae) used as fine aggregate in Roman pozzolanic mortars

Cited by 27 publications

References 10 publications

Mid‐Pleistocene pozzolanic volcanic ash in ancient Roman concretes

Mid‐Pleistocene pozzolanic volcanic ash in ancient Roman concretes

Scientia in Republican Era Stone and Concrete Masonry

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

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