Petrographic characterization and provenance determination of the white marbles used in the Roman sculptures of Forum Sempronii (Fossombrone, Marche, Italy)

Abstract

The Roman municipium of Forum Sempronii (Fossombrone, Marche) was located along the ‘Via Consolare Flaminia’, in the stretch of road where it ran along the final sector of the valley of the River Metauro (Mataurus). The ancient colony of Forum Sempronii, which is cited by Strabo, Pliny, and Ptolemy, was found in the second century BC, probably on the site of an earlier community and its activity continued until the end of the fifth century AD. During ancient and more recent archaeological excavations, many fragments of coloured stones and marbles, and some white marble sculptures have been unearthed. In this paper, we report the results of the provenance identification of the white marbles used for the sculptures found in the archaeological site of Forum Sempronii and now displayed at the local archaeological museum. The determination of the source origin of the white marbles used for the sculptures has been established by mineralogical-petrographic and geochemical analyses. Microscopic study of thin sections together with carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios indicate that more than one type of white marbles was used: Pentelikon, Lunense, and Thasian

An updated petrographic and isotopic reference database for white marbles used in antiquity

“…When used together, these methods enable most marbles to be identified, if not with absolute certainty then at least with a fully acceptable degree of reliability (e.g. see the papers recently published by Pensabene et al 2012;Columbu et al 2014;Antonelli and Lazzarini 2013a, b;Antonelli et al 2003Antonelli et al , 2014a; this could only be acquired via the establishment of a good reference database from the analysis of a large number of samples taken from known ancient quarries. What follows is a much updated version of the so far published petrographic and isotopic reference database (Gorgoni et al 2002;Attanasio et al 2006Attanasio et al , 2009Attanasio et al , 2015 for the 10 most used pure white marbles of the antiquity (Pentelic, Hymettian, Naxian, Thasian, Parian, Göktepe, Docimean, Aphrodisian, Proconnesian and Carrara marbles; Fig.…”

Provenance of White Marbles from the Roman City of Tauriana (Palmi, Reggio Calabria, Italy)

“…Measurements of the isotopic ratios 18 O/ 16 O and 13 C/ 12 C were performed using the mass spectrometry at the Stable Isotope Mass Spectroscopy Laboratory of the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, National Research Council of Italy (Pisa, Italy). The stable isotopic ratios of carbon and oxygen, expressed in delta values δ 13 C % and δ 18 O % , were measured in accordance with the international standard Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB) [20], a carbonate fossil from South Carolina.…”

“…As demonstrated by the scientific literature, many researchers have focused their attention on the archaeometric study of ancient marble samples using different methodological approaches [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] in order to determine the quarries of provenance, to verify the level of technological skills achieved in the use of some marble types, and to obtain information on the commercial relationships and trade routes in antiquity.…”

Archaeometric Approach for Studying Architectural Earthenwares from the Archaeological Site of S. Omobono (Rome-Italy)

“…As demonstrated by numerous scientific studies [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17], these materials bear the potter's mark and enhance our understanding of trade and everyday life in the area in which they were found. For this reason, their archaeometric study, together with the study of natural and artificial stone materials [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34], is essential not only for identifying the raw materials and the production technology adopted, but also to obtain information about the history and the evolution of the monument or of the archaeological site analyzed.…”