Ancient Stones : Quarrying Trade and Provenance. Interdisciplinary Studies on Stones and Stone Technology in Europe and Near East from the Prehistoric to the Early Christian Period

This volume is a compilation of 34 papers that were presented at the second meeting of the Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones Used in Antiquity (ASMOSIA) , held at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, October 16-20th 1990.

The meeting assembled an interdisciplinary group of nearly 50 archaeologists and art historians, geologists and geochemists from the U.S.A. and 14 European and Near Eastern countries to discuss the provenance, quarrying, transport and use of stone from prehistoric to early Christian times, both in Europe and in the Near East.

The papers which reflect a merger between classicism and geotechnology, thus deal with (1) quarries from the Bronze Age to the Byzantine period, their technology and organization, (2) quarry prospection through satellite imaging, (3) dressing of artifacts near the quarries, (4) trade, availability and archaeological use of certain stones in antiquity, (5) determination of obsidian, flint, granite, marble, limestones, sandstones and arkoses from Europe, Asia Minor and the Near East by means of petrological and chemical analysis, trace element analysis, electron microprobe and stable isotope analysis, ESR spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence and X-ray powder diffradtometry, mercury porosimetry, cathodoluminiscence, light diffustion from laser-irradiated stones, computer assisted assessment of coloured stones or amulti-method appraoch, and (6) provenance determination applied to ancient artifacts.

The volume is highly recommended for those who wish to combine a journey into classical scholarship with geochemical sciences.

Contents

PART I. QUARRIES AND QUARRY TECHNOLOGY

* Waelkens, M. / Bronze age quarries and quarrying techniques in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East
* Papageorgakis, J. / N. Mourtzas and A. Orfanoudaki, Bronze age quarries on the Eastern coastal zone of Crete (Greece)
* Kolaiti, E. and L.G. Mendoni / The relation between a quarrying site and a city-center. The case of the ancient city of Karthaia, Keos island, Greece
* Papageorgakis, J. and E. Kolaiti / The ancient limestone quarries of Profitis Elias near Delfi (Greece)
* Kozelj, T. and M. Wurch-Kozelj / The military protection of the quarries of the Aliki area during the Byzantine period

PART II. SATELLITE IMAGING FOR QUARRY PROSPECTION
* Cullen, B. C. - F. A. Cooper and M. E. Bauer / Satellite imaging: a preliminary to prospecting for quarries and natural resources

PART III. THE DRESSING OF QUARRY ARTIFACTS
* Asgari, N. - Observations on two types of quarry-items from Proconnesus: column-shafts and column-bases
* Pensabene, P. / The method used for dressing the columns of the Colosseum portico

PART IV. TRADE, AVAILABILITY AND USE OF SPECIFIC STONES IN ANTIQUITY
* Herrmann, J. J. Jr. / Exportation of dolomitic marble from Thasos: evidence from European and North American collections
* Bozzo, E. - F. Merlanti and G. Rocca / Building stones and their provenance in the Etruscan town ship ofMarzabotto near Bologna (Northern Italy)
* Fant, J. Claylon / The Roman Imperial marble yard at Portus
* Kane, S. and S.C. Carrier /Relationship between style and size of statuary and the availability of marble in the Eastern Roman Empire
* Bortolaso, G. and L. Appolonia / The polychrome marble of Augusta Praetoria
* Roder, G. / Felsberg granite as a substitute for Claudianus granite

PART V. PROVENANCE DETERMINATION TECHNIQUES OF STONE MATERIAL
* Yellin, J. and F. Frachtenberg, A re-examination of Nahal Lavan obsidian
Frachtenberg, F. and J. Yellin, Preliminary study of flint sources in Israel by neutron activation analysis
* Gorgoni, C. - I. Kokkinakis - L. Lazzarini and M. Mariottini / Geochemical and petrographic characterization of 'rosso antico' and other white-grey marbles of Mani (Greece)
* Galetti, G. - L. Lazzarini and M. Maggetti / A first characterization of the most important granites used in antiquity
* Doehne, E. - J.