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This work represents the first archaeometric study carried out on white marble artefacts coming from several areas of the archaeological site of S. Omobono, located in a central area of Rome (Italy). The study was performed on a total of nineteen marble items, sampled from several areas of the site, by combining different laboratory techniques - including optical microscopy (OM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) of C and O - with the aim to characterise them and to determine their provenance. The minero-petrographic features observed, together with the C and O stable isotopes ratios recorded, the evaluation of the Sr and Mn contents, and the XRD refinement of the calcite unit-cell parameters, allowed us to prove that the marbles used in the S. Omobono site mainly come from the Apuan Alps basin (Carrara) and, in few cases, from continental (Mt. Penteli) and insular (Paros-Lakkoi or Thasos-Aliki district) Greek quarries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents the results of an interdisciplinary research project focusing on the survey and 3D reconstruction of Temple II of the sacred area of Timpone della Motta near Francavilla Marittima (CS, IT). Beginning with the photogrammetric survey, the re-reading of archaeological data and previous graphic renderings, the analysis of construction techniques, the critical study of bibliographical sources, and also proceeding with reasoning by analogy, a series of conjectures were formulated, which made it possible to obtain a technically and architecturally plausible reconstruction. The temple, divided into a pronaos distilo in antis, naos and adyton (depth ratios of 2:4: 1), was covered by a pitched roof. In an early phase, a pole placed almost in the centre of the naos, collaborated in supporting the roof; later, this scheme evolved into a more complex system with two poles, connected by a horizontal frame, supporting all the purlins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Thiasos is the property of Edizioni Quasar di Severino Tognon s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study reports on the discovery that the podium of the archaic temple in the Forum Boarium of Rome was built with a previously unknown tuff, of non-local origin. On the basis of detailed comparative petrographic and geochemical tests, it has been established that the blocks employed to build the earliest temple so far discovered in Rome belonged to a distinctive facies of tufo lionato that had never been characterized before, in contrast to what was reported by previous excavators. The blocks must have come from a quarry in the Anio River Valley, several kilometers from the construction site, making the Sant'Omobono temple the earliest known Roman building that extensively employed imported materials. The metrology of the blocks is also unique. This particular volcanic stone was probably chosen for its much greater resistance to weathering compared to the local tuffs, a trait that was essential in the flood-prone location, not far from the Tiber riverbank, where the temple was situated. The labor-intensive sourcing may also explain the dainty size of the temple podium in comparison to other sixth-century bc temples in the region. The choice made by the builders indicates far greater sophistication and technical awareness than they have generally been credited with. The new discovery is placed in the context of the quickly accumulating archaeological record of sixth-century bc Rome, which suggests a dramatic increase in the number and scale of monumental projects in the expanding city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]