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URL del artículo en la web de la Revista: [https://www.upo.es/revistas/index.php/romula/article/view/7926], Universidad Pablo de Olavide

URL del artículo en la web de la Revista: https://www.upo.es/revistas/index.php/romula/article/view/7968, Il grande complesso architettonico tarragonese o cosiddetto “Foro Provinciale” di Tarraco, rappresenta uno dei monumenti più emblematici di epoca imperiale nelle province romane d’Occidente. Il profuso impiego dell’opera quadrata costituisce uno dei caratteri costruttivi distintivi del monumento, dando spesso vita a soluzioni tecniche originali. Un’attenta analisi delle strutture murarie ha permesso, difatti, di rilevare applicazioni edilizie che si spingono in quello che potremmo definire campo della sperimentazione. Lo scopo di questo contributo è analizzare i sistemi di copertura in blocchi impiegati, nella maggior parti degli esempi proposti, nelle aperture di accesso e aperture finestrate presenti nella terrazza superiore e intermedia del Foro Provinciale, mettendo in luce il savoir-faire e l’esperienza delle maestranze che nel plasmare la pietra calcarea locale, realizzarono un complesso architettonico che per molteplici aspetti resta un unicum nel panorama dell’architettura romana alto-imperiale., The grand building complex in Tarraco known as the “Provincial Forum” is one of the most emblematic imperial-era monuments in the Western Roman provinces. The construction of one of the key monuments in the Roman West was extensively influenced by local stone resources, in particular limestone, and often generated new architectural solutions and applications that have become its identifying characteristic that, in some cases, are truly architectural experimentation. The aim of this contribution is to analyse the roofing systems in opusquadratum technique used in doorways or windows from the upper and intermediate terrace of the Provincial Forum. Their constructive features highlight the know-how and experience of the workers who, in moulding the local limestone, created an architectural complex that, in many aspects, remains unique in the panorama of Early Imperial Roman architecture., Universidad Pablo de Olavide

International audience

International audience

Obiettivo dell’articolo è presentare alcuni tracciati di lavorazione rilevati su diversi mortai in marmo conservati all’interno dei magazzini e delle sale espositive del Museu National Arqueològic de Tarragona (Tarragona, Spagna), provenienti in maggioranza dall’area della cosiddetta parte alta della città, ovvero quella occupata in epoca romana dal Foro Provinciale. All’interno di uno studio rivolto alla comprensione del processo di lavorazione dei manufatti marmorei di epoca romana provenienti dall’area di Tarragona, è stato possibile circoscrivere un nucleo di utensili marmorei, conservati a diversi stadi di lavorazione, i quali appaiono estremamente interessanti in quanto conservano caratteristiche che in maniera abbastanza precisa possono collegarsi ad alcune fasi della loro produzione. I mortai sono manufatti che rare volte sono stati oggetto di interesse da parte degli studiosi, soprattutto a causa della semplicità dell’oggetto in sè, ma anche per la facilità di esecuzione e quindi della scarsa evoluzione delle caratteristiche morfologiche nel corso dei secoli tale da renderne difficile una datazione. Nonostante ciò, gli esemplari tarragonesi rappresentano un significante fondamentale per la comprensione di questi manufatti: i tracciati leggibili sui pezzi permettono infatti di ricostruirne il processo esecutivo, così come il numero rinvenuto in un contesto ristretto e cronologicamente certo permette di ipotizzare una produzione all’interno delle officine che ruotavano intorno al cantiere di costruzione del foro di epoca imperiale. The aim of the article is to present some carving lines, which have been observed on several marble mortars, conserved in the warehouse and in the permanent exhibition of the National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona (Tarragona, Spain). The majority of these pieces come from the so-called “upper part” of the city, which was occupied in Roman times by the Provincial Forum. Within a study directed to the understanding of the manufacture of marble artefacts in Roman times from the area of Tarragona, it was possible to circumscribe a group of marble pieces, conserved at different stages of the work process, which appear extremely interesting. In fact, these artefacts preserve characteristics that can be connected with some detail to the steps of their production. The mortaria are artefacts that have been rarely the subject of interest by scholars, mainly because of the simplicity of the object itself, but also for the ease of execution. These factors have determined a limited morphological evolution of their characteristics over the centuries such that their dating is difficult. Despite of this, the mortars from Tarraco represent a fundamental significant for understanding these artefacts. The carving lines visible on the objects allow to reconstruct the execution process, as well as the number found in a restricted and certain chronological context make possible to hypothesize the existence of a production within workshops that worked in the sphere of the site of construction of the Provincial Forum of Tarraco during the imperial period.

International audience

This article details the use of photographic rectification as support for the graphic documentation of historical and archaeological heritage and specifically the southern facade of the Torre del Pretori (Praetorium Tower) in Tarragona. The Praetorium Tower is part of a larger monumental complex and one of the towers that connected different parts of the Tarraco Provincial Forum, the politic-administrative centre of the ancient capital of Hispania Citerioris. It is therefore a valuable example of the evolution of Roman urban architecture. The aim of this project is to provide accurate graphic documentation of the structure to facilitate the restoration and conservation of the tower, as well as to provide a more profound architectural and archaeological understanding of the Roman forum. The use of photographic rectification enabled us to overcome the spatial and time difficulties involved in collecting data caused by the size and location of the building. Specific software made it easier to obtain accurate two-dimensional images. For this reason, in our case, photographic rectification helped us to make a direct analysis of the monument and facilitated interpretation of the architectural stratigraphy. We currently separate the line of research into two concepts: the construction processes and the architecture of the building. The documentation collected permitted various analyses: the characterisation of the building modules, identification of the tools used to work the building materials, etc. In conclusion, the use of orthoimages is a powerful tool that permits the systematic study of a Roman building that has evolved over the centuries and is now in a modern urban context.

The article presents the results obtained from the application of two different kinds of software, Photoplan (Kubit) and Image Master (Topcon), to the photographic rectification used as a graphic support methodology for the technological and building analysis of the Provincial Forum of Tarraco. The study of archaeological structures in a modern urban context often imposes limitations and obstacles of a different nature (space, time, financial resources, etc.). In order to overcome such drawbacks, photographic rectification can be used for the bi-dimensional documentation of archaeological structures, as a tool widely affirmed and accepted in a scientific context. Presently there are several different kinds of software available on the market, so that it is difficult to make a choice among the wide range of possibilities. Nonetheless, the advantages and disadvantages of these kinds of software depend mainly on the specific aims and the particular work context. Hence, the choice of Photoplan or Image Master was based mainly on the evaluation of their respective flexibility and speed in both data collection and data processing, considering the size and the location of the structure of interest. For our purposes, the best solution was to alternate the two kinds of software, as they turned out to be quite complementary.

El presente trabajo pretende dar a conocer el planteamiento y los objetivos del estudio relativo al análisis de los procesos de construcción del Foro Provincial de Tarraco. A partir de los estudios y de los avances alcanzados en los últimos 30 años, el presente trabajo plantea una propuesta de análisis más técnico de la arquitectura del conjunto tarraconense. El análisis de los detalles tecnológico-constructivos recogidos valorando en cada estructura documentada, la relación entre elemento funcional (cimentación, muro de carga, ventana, etc.) y técnica de construcción/material empleado, posibilitará la definición de la organización y de la gestión del cantiere. Los datos obtenidos permitirán abarcar temas socio-económicos relacionados con la construcción del Foro Provincial. El estudio de la economía de la obra permitirá, en primera instancia, realizar una estimación sobre la cantidad de material y de mano de obra empleada, temas que se vinculan a la inversión económica y al impacto que esta pudo tener en la ciudad. Además definir los tiempos de ejecución de la obra proporcionará una nueva perspectiva de análisis para enfrentarse al estudio de aspectos cronológicos que todavía constituyen, para el foro tarraconense, una temática abierta. The present report highlights the approach and objectives of analysis of the construction process of the Provincial Forum of Tarraco. Different from the studies and the progress achieved in the past 30 years, our investigation propose a more technical analysis of the overall architecture of Tarragona. The analysis of both technological and building details collected into account for every and each of the documented structure, the relationship between functional elements (foundation, load-bearing wall, window, etc) the building style as well as the materials used, enable the definition of the organization and management of the construction site. The data obtained will allow to understanding of socioeconomic issues related of the construction of the Provincial Forum. Indeed, the study of the production cycle will enable to estimates the amount of material and labor used, issues that are linked to economic investment and the impact this might have on the city. Furthermore the understanding of the time used to end the construction will provide a new perspective of analysis to address the chronological aspects of Tarragona Forum, which are still an open issue.

The article presents the results obtained from the application of two different kinds of software, Photoplan (Kubit) and Image Master (Topcon), to the photographic rectification used as a graphic support methodology for the technological and building analysis of the Provincial Forum of Tarraco. The study of archaeological structures in a modern urban context often imposes limitations and obstacles of a different nature (space, time, financial resources, etc.). In order to overcome such drawbacks, photographic rectification can be used for the bi-dimensional documentation of archaeological structures, as a tool widely affirmed and accepted in a scientific context. Presently there are several different kinds of software available on the market, so that it is difficult to make a choice among the wide range of possibilities. Nonetheless, the advantages and disadvantages of these kinds of software depend mainly on the specific aims and the particular work context. Hence, the choice of Photoplan or Image Master was based mainly on the evaluation of their respective flexibility and speed in both data collection and data processing, considering the size and the location of the structure of interest. For our purposes, the best solution was to alternate the two kinds of software, as they turned out to be quite complementary.