ARCHITECTURAL AND SCULPTURAL DECORATION OF ROMAN CENTRAL ADRIATIC ITALY : AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ARCHAEOMETRIC APPROACH TO REGION-WIDE MARBLE TRADE

During the Late Republic and Early Empire, central Adriatic Italy was one of the most urbanised regions in the Roman world and most cities were extensively equipped with monumental buildings, often lavishly decorated with imported marbles and sculptures. This contribution presents the results of an archaeological and archaeometric study of the architectural and sculptural marbles used in this central Adriatic area. The determination of the geographical origin of white and polychrome marbles was carried out through macroscopic examination and laboratory investigations (optical petrography, X-ray diffraction, oxygen and carbon stable isotopes). The analyses revealed the presence of a wide range of lithotypes from Italy, Greece (mainland and Aegean islands), Asia Minor, North Africa and Egypt, including varieties of white marble from Carrara, Proconnesos, Pentelikon, Thasos, Paros and Dokimeion.