Arturo Zara è Dottore di Ricerca in Storia, Critica e Conservazione dei Beni Culturali e Cultore della Materia presso l’Università degli Studi di Padova. I suoi principali interessi scientifici vertono attorno all’archeologia dell’architettura di età romana, con particolare interesse per la comprensione delle dinamiche produttive, commerciali ed economiche riguardanti l’approvvigionamento e la diffusione dei materiali edilizi antichi. Dal 2006 partecipa continuativamente alle missioni di scavo e di ricerca presso il sito archeologico di Nora (Pula, CA); a Nora e alla Sardegna romana ha dedicato le tesi di laurea triennale, magistrale e di specializzazione, oltre che numerose pubblicazioni in opere monografiche e periodici, con studi di carattere stratigrafico, topografico, storico ed epigrafico. Dal 2012 è coordinatore redazionale della rivista «Quaderni Norensi», mentre dal 2016, prima con una borsa di studio del dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e poi con un assegno di ricerca presso il Centro Interdipartimentale di Studi Liviani dell’Ateneo patavino, ha avuto modo di dedicarsi all’elaborazione di un sito internet e di applicazioni mobili per la realtà virtuale destinate alla valorizzazione dei siti archeologici di Nora e di Patavium. Dal 2018 al 2021, sempre presso l’Università di Padova, è stato assegnista di ricerca presso il Centro di Ateneo per i Musei, impegnato nello studio e nella catalogazione del patrimonio del Museo di Scienze Archeologiche e d’Arte.
Arturo Zara holds a PhD in History, Criticism and Conservation of Cultural Heritage and he is Teaching Assistant from the University of Padua. His primary research goals are directed towards Roman archaeology of architecture, espe-cially about production, commerce and economics related to quarrying and distribution of the ancient building materi-als. Since 2006, he has been involved in excavations and researches at the archaeological site of Nora (Pula, CA); his bachelor, master and specialisation thesis concern Nora and the Roman Sardinia, as well as various published works in books and journals, about stratigraphic, topographical, historical and epigraphic topics. Since 2012, he provides editorial coodination of the journal Quaderni Norensi. Since 2016, first supported by a research grant at the Department of Cultural Heritage, then as postdoctoral fellow at the Interdepartmental Center for Livian Studies (Univer-sity of Padua), he has worked for the development of a website and of virtual reality apps for the enhancement of the archaeological sites of Nora and Patavium. Between 2018 and 2021, he held a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Padua Museums Centre and he was engaged in studying and cataloguing the heritage of the Museum of Archaeological Sciences and Art.
Supervisors: Jacopo Bonetto
Arturo Zara holds a PhD in History, Criticism and Conservation of Cultural Heritage and he is Teaching Assistant from the University of Padua. His primary research goals are directed towards Roman archaeology of architecture, espe-cially about production, commerce and economics related to quarrying and distribution of the ancient building materi-als. Since 2006, he has been involved in excavations and researches at the archaeological site of Nora (Pula, CA); his bachelor, master and specialisation thesis concern Nora and the Roman Sardinia, as well as various published works in books and journals, about stratigraphic, topographical, historical and epigraphic topics. Since 2012, he provides editorial coodination of the journal Quaderni Norensi. Since 2016, first supported by a research grant at the Department of Cultural Heritage, then as postdoctoral fellow at the Interdepartmental Center for Livian Studies (Univer-sity of Padua), he has worked for the development of a website and of virtual reality apps for the enhancement of the archaeological sites of Nora and Patavium. Between 2018 and 2021, he held a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Padua Museums Centre and he was engaged in studying and cataloguing the heritage of the Museum of Archaeological Sciences and Art.
Supervisors: Jacopo Bonetto
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Papers by Arturo Zara
High resolution 3D survey systems have been adopted in recent years for use in Cultural Heritage with the aim of realising high resolution 3D models that are a valuable basis for reproduction, restoration and conservation purposes. The most frequent applications of 3D technology for artefacts remain the research around a museum’s most exceptional object. The considerations that guided the choice of the scanning system are: data goals, spatial resolution, depth accuracy, and portability. For these reasons, 3D hight resolution survey with structured light scanner and photogrammetry technique were applied for recording an epigraphic stone, ‘the Nora Stele’ at the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari, to evaluate these methods and the derived model could be used for research.
This paper deals with a new epigraphic evidence concerning Roman Sardinia, from the excavations of a Imperial building located east of the forum of Nora (Pula, ca). The inscription is a graffito on a fragment of wall plaster and it was found in a collapse layer of a room in which productive and commercial activities related to bone processing were carried out. The graffito mentions a mulomedicus and a macellum, providing new elements to design the activity of the veterinarian in the Roman world and the public building for food market in Nora.
Il contributo mira a presentare metodi e risultati del progetto di restauro virtuale di un settore dell’antica Porto Torres/Turris Libisonis (Terme centrali, via adiacente e botteghe prospicienti - cd. palazzo del Re Barbaro), frutto di un accordo di collaborazione tra la Direzione Regionale Musei Sardegna e l’Università degli Studi di Padova. Il metodo applicato si basa su tecnologie di fruizione in Realtà Virtuale e ha permesso il restauro virtuale, geolocalizzando il modello virtuale 3D on-site: una App comanda la visualizzazione di immagini equirettangolari all’interno di visori VR, permettendo visite guidate “aumentate”. Il lavoro è partito da una raccolta bibliografica ragionata, alla quale è seguita una campagna di rilievo fotogrammetrico da drone (G. Alvito, Teravista); infine, intrecciando i dati raccolti, si è proceduto alla ricostruzione 3D virtuale degli edifici. Le evidenze strutturali oggi conservate sono state integrate nella scena 3D con puntuali confronti coevi (III sec. d.C.), virtualmente ricostruiti e ricollocati in contesti d’uso verosimili, accrescendo così l’affidabilità ricostruttiva. L’intero processo ricostruttivo è stato vincolato a un rigoroso processo di validazione scientifica basato sul metodo dell’Extended matrix e l’esito finale è ora fruibile sia mediante proiezioni tradizionali (off-site, tourismA 2020), sia mediante l’utilizzo di dispositivi mobili VR (on-site, Giornate europee del patrimonio 2020). In queste e altre occasioni si è riscontrata una eccellente risposta del pubblico, agevolato dal virtuale nella percezione e nella comprensione delle evidenze e delle volumetrie antiche.
Abstract (ENG)
The paper aims to present the methods and results of the virtual restoration project of a sector of the ancient Porto Torres/Turris Libisonis (central baths, adjacent street and facing shops - the so-called Palazzo del Re Barbaro); the project is the result of a collaboration agreement between the Regional Museums Direction of Sardinia and the University of Padua. The method applied is based on Virtual Reality fruition technologies and has enabled virtual restoration as well as the geolocalising the 3D virtual model on-site: an App commands the display of equirectangular images inside VR viewers, allowing 'augmented' guided tours. The work started with an annotated bibliographic collection, which was followed by a photogrammetric survey campaign by drone (carried out by G. Alvito, Teravista); finally, interweaving the collected data, the virtual 3D reconstruction of the buildings was carried out. The structural evidence preserved today was integrated into the 3D scene with coeval comparisons (3rd century AD), virtually reconstructed and relocated in plausible contexts of use, thus increasing reconstructive reliability. The entire reconstruction process was bound to a rigorous scientific validation process based on the Extended matrix method, and the final outcome is now usable both through traditional projections (off-site, presented at tourismA 2020 exhibition) and through the use of mobile VR devices (on-site, presented at the European Heritage Days 2020). On these and other occasions, there has been an excellent response from the public, facilitated by the virtual in their perception and understanding of the ancient architectural evidence.
e d’Arte dell’Università di Padova condotta tra il 2018 e il 2021 ha consentito di isolare un
considerevole gruppo di manufatti ceramici provenienti da Adria, riferibili alla classe della vernice nera
greca e romana. Tali reperti, perlopiù in buono stato di conservazione, entrarono a far parte del patrimonio
del Museo nei primi anni del Novecento e, sebbene manchino dati che consentano di risalire agli originari
contesti di pertinenza adriesi, probabilmente di carattere funerario, è comunque possibile, mediante
un’analisi tipologica e cronologica, formulare alcune considerazioni sull’origine dei reperti e la loro contestualizzazione
nel panorama della ceramica a vernice nera greca e romana attestata ad Adria tra la fine del
IV sec. a.C. e gli inizi del I sec. d.C.
After the successful experience of the Nora Virtual Tour, a virtual reality guided tour of the archaeological site, the University of Padua, as part of the e-archeo project by Ales s.p.a., has developed a new virtual tour of the archaeological site, which can be accessed through the web-app e-archaeo 3D. In the project, new 3D models of the ancient monuments were built, through a rigorous validation of the reconstructive process, the composition of a storytelling useful to explain the main results of the scientific research in explicit language, and the publication of the information sources as open data in the repository Zenodo.
In this paper we discuss the preliminary results of the archaeometric analyses on 8 mortar samples collected from the temple of Eshmun in Nora during the 2015 archaeological campaign and analyzed by polarized optical microscopy (OM) coupled with SEM-EDS chemical investigations. The resulting data allowed to describe the raw materials used in the mortars, which were for the most part locally sourced. In one sample, imported volcanic pyroclastic rocks provided the compound of peculiar pozzolanic properties.
The paper aims to present the research project on the graffiti on wall plasters of the building to the east of the forum of Nora. The fragments number around one hundred and were most often recovered in collapse layers. They are analysed in terms of pictorial decoration, epigraphic and iconographic features, with the aim of reconstructing the original context and gaining new knowledge on the function of the building and the culture of its users.
In 2021 archeological survey carried out in the building located near the East side of the forum of Nora has involved the eastern part of the complex, resuming the excavations of rooms VII and VIII, already started in previous years. While in room VII the survey has mainly contributed to increase the knowledge on the last phases of life, abandonment, and collapse of the building, in room VIII excavation has deepened and brought to light two building phases which preceded the imperial complex.
Trench II was excavated to the south of the building located at the east of the Roman forum and it brought to light the wide road that, starting from the forum, reached the eastern district of Nora. The stratigraphic excavation highlighted a dense succession of street levels. A preliminary chronological definition of the road layers is provided based on typological study of the ceramic finds.
Archaeological research has a close connection with written sources: the Classics and the epigraphy are stepping stones in the analysis of an archaeological context. Based on the case-study of Padova in the Roman age, this paper aims at discussing the significance of reading and commenting the literary and epigraphical sources from an archaeological point of view in teaching Latin. To get this goal, the use of innovative technologies and museum learning activities go to play an important role.
Le ricerche archeologiche presso l’antica città di Nora presero avvio con i primi scavi governativi di F. Vivanet e F. Nissardi (1890-1892); un decennio dopo (1901), fu G. Patroni a condurre le prime indagini sistematiche assieme allo studio dei rinvenimenti degli anni precedenti. Nonostante ciò, fu solo con il secondo Dopoguerra e con la grande stagione di scavi di G. Pesce (1952-1960), che al grande pubblico venne data la possibilità di conoscere e visitare Nora. Gli interventi del Soprintendente, infatti, presero le mosse da un interesse di promozione turistica dell’ESIT, proprietario della penisola, e proseguirono con il duplice intento di mettere in luce l’assetto monumentale della città e di realizzare il primo parco archeologico della Sardegna. Molti rapporti manoscritti, carte e fotografie di queste ricerche rimasero inediti in archivi pubblici e privati: un’analisi critica di questi documenti consente oggi di ricostruire la storia delle ricerche, le vicende amministrative e le attività di tutela e valorizzazione nel contesto dell’epoca.
Il contributo esamina i tempi e i modi di utilizzo dei materiali lapidei a Padova nell'età del Ferro, in un periodo compreso fra la nascita del centro protourbano (fine del IX-inizi dell'VIII sec. a.C.) e la romanizzazione (III-II sec. a.C.). Pur entro i limiti derivanti da una generale assenza di analisi archeometriche sui litotipi, la raccolta sistematica e il riesame dei dati editi consente di rileggere la traiettoria di sviluppo del centro di Padova nei suoi aspetti di progres-siva monumentalizzazione e nelle sue relazioni con le fonti e i bacini di approvvigionamento. I risultati della ricerca evidenziano come nella fase protourbana le risorse lapidee risultano scarsamente impiegate. In tale quadro, i rarissimi casi di impiego di materiale durevole meri-tano particolare attenzione sia per la scelta esclusiva della trachite dei Colli Euganei, sia per i contesti di rinvenimento. A partire dall'avanzato VI secolo a.C. i materiali lapidei conoscono un notevole incremento quantitativo e un allargamento dei contesti di utilizzo. Questi cambia-menti, che attestano l'accesso a risorse differenziate entro un ampio bacino di controllo, sono da ricondurre alle trasformazioni socio-politiche di Padova, che ha ormai raggiunto la fisionomia urbana
This paper aims to examine the stratigraphic context marked by the presence of a ritual deposit of 49 Antoniniani, found in the building eastward of the Nora Roman forum. The group of coins dates back to 282-283 AD: this precise information contributes to the typological and chronological analysis of the finds and it enables further remarks on pottery classes and formation processes of the stratigraphic context.
In 2018 and 2019 the University of Padova carried on an archaeological survey of the Roman Imperial building situated beyond the eastern edge of the forum and southeast of the so-called Casa Sarda (PO area). The survey was conducted in different areas: the excavation was carried on with a focus on the northwestern area of the building (rooms I, XI, XII) and on its southwestern (rooms III, XIII) and southeastern (room VII) edges, and the excavation area was expanded eastward, which brought to light several structural evidences, including an apsidal room (room XIV). The removal of the layers of collapse revealed information about walls made of mud-bricks covered with painted plaster, the layout of the first floor and the articulation of the roof of the rooms. Finally, the presence of various closed passages and numerous fragments of semi-worked bones in the abandonment deposits shed light on the last phases of occupancy of the building.
Since 2014, archaeological researches in the building eastward of the Nora Roman forum have been carried out with the following aims: the complete excavation of the Roman Middle Imperial building and the understanding of its architectural and functional features. In 2018 and 2019, the layers of collapse have been almost completely investigated; at the same time, fragments of wall paintings have been subjected to reconstruction and iconographic analysis; moreover the studies concerning both pottery findings and structural analysis of the building have been realized.
High resolution 3D survey systems have been adopted in recent years for use in Cultural Heritage with the aim of realising high resolution 3D models that are a valuable basis for reproduction, restoration and conservation purposes. The most frequent applications of 3D technology for artefacts remain the research around a museum’s most exceptional object. The considerations that guided the choice of the scanning system are: data goals, spatial resolution, depth accuracy, and portability. For these reasons, 3D hight resolution survey with structured light scanner and photogrammetry technique were applied for recording an epigraphic stone, ‘the Nora Stele’ at the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari, to evaluate these methods and the derived model could be used for research.
This paper deals with a new epigraphic evidence concerning Roman Sardinia, from the excavations of a Imperial building located east of the forum of Nora (Pula, ca). The inscription is a graffito on a fragment of wall plaster and it was found in a collapse layer of a room in which productive and commercial activities related to bone processing were carried out. The graffito mentions a mulomedicus and a macellum, providing new elements to design the activity of the veterinarian in the Roman world and the public building for food market in Nora.
Il contributo mira a presentare metodi e risultati del progetto di restauro virtuale di un settore dell’antica Porto Torres/Turris Libisonis (Terme centrali, via adiacente e botteghe prospicienti - cd. palazzo del Re Barbaro), frutto di un accordo di collaborazione tra la Direzione Regionale Musei Sardegna e l’Università degli Studi di Padova. Il metodo applicato si basa su tecnologie di fruizione in Realtà Virtuale e ha permesso il restauro virtuale, geolocalizzando il modello virtuale 3D on-site: una App comanda la visualizzazione di immagini equirettangolari all’interno di visori VR, permettendo visite guidate “aumentate”. Il lavoro è partito da una raccolta bibliografica ragionata, alla quale è seguita una campagna di rilievo fotogrammetrico da drone (G. Alvito, Teravista); infine, intrecciando i dati raccolti, si è proceduto alla ricostruzione 3D virtuale degli edifici. Le evidenze strutturali oggi conservate sono state integrate nella scena 3D con puntuali confronti coevi (III sec. d.C.), virtualmente ricostruiti e ricollocati in contesti d’uso verosimili, accrescendo così l’affidabilità ricostruttiva. L’intero processo ricostruttivo è stato vincolato a un rigoroso processo di validazione scientifica basato sul metodo dell’Extended matrix e l’esito finale è ora fruibile sia mediante proiezioni tradizionali (off-site, tourismA 2020), sia mediante l’utilizzo di dispositivi mobili VR (on-site, Giornate europee del patrimonio 2020). In queste e altre occasioni si è riscontrata una eccellente risposta del pubblico, agevolato dal virtuale nella percezione e nella comprensione delle evidenze e delle volumetrie antiche.
Abstract (ENG)
The paper aims to present the methods and results of the virtual restoration project of a sector of the ancient Porto Torres/Turris Libisonis (central baths, adjacent street and facing shops - the so-called Palazzo del Re Barbaro); the project is the result of a collaboration agreement between the Regional Museums Direction of Sardinia and the University of Padua. The method applied is based on Virtual Reality fruition technologies and has enabled virtual restoration as well as the geolocalising the 3D virtual model on-site: an App commands the display of equirectangular images inside VR viewers, allowing 'augmented' guided tours. The work started with an annotated bibliographic collection, which was followed by a photogrammetric survey campaign by drone (carried out by G. Alvito, Teravista); finally, interweaving the collected data, the virtual 3D reconstruction of the buildings was carried out. The structural evidence preserved today was integrated into the 3D scene with coeval comparisons (3rd century AD), virtually reconstructed and relocated in plausible contexts of use, thus increasing reconstructive reliability. The entire reconstruction process was bound to a rigorous scientific validation process based on the Extended matrix method, and the final outcome is now usable both through traditional projections (off-site, presented at tourismA 2020 exhibition) and through the use of mobile VR devices (on-site, presented at the European Heritage Days 2020). On these and other occasions, there has been an excellent response from the public, facilitated by the virtual in their perception and understanding of the ancient architectural evidence.
e d’Arte dell’Università di Padova condotta tra il 2018 e il 2021 ha consentito di isolare un
considerevole gruppo di manufatti ceramici provenienti da Adria, riferibili alla classe della vernice nera
greca e romana. Tali reperti, perlopiù in buono stato di conservazione, entrarono a far parte del patrimonio
del Museo nei primi anni del Novecento e, sebbene manchino dati che consentano di risalire agli originari
contesti di pertinenza adriesi, probabilmente di carattere funerario, è comunque possibile, mediante
un’analisi tipologica e cronologica, formulare alcune considerazioni sull’origine dei reperti e la loro contestualizzazione
nel panorama della ceramica a vernice nera greca e romana attestata ad Adria tra la fine del
IV sec. a.C. e gli inizi del I sec. d.C.
After the successful experience of the Nora Virtual Tour, a virtual reality guided tour of the archaeological site, the University of Padua, as part of the e-archeo project by Ales s.p.a., has developed a new virtual tour of the archaeological site, which can be accessed through the web-app e-archaeo 3D. In the project, new 3D models of the ancient monuments were built, through a rigorous validation of the reconstructive process, the composition of a storytelling useful to explain the main results of the scientific research in explicit language, and the publication of the information sources as open data in the repository Zenodo.
In this paper we discuss the preliminary results of the archaeometric analyses on 8 mortar samples collected from the temple of Eshmun in Nora during the 2015 archaeological campaign and analyzed by polarized optical microscopy (OM) coupled with SEM-EDS chemical investigations. The resulting data allowed to describe the raw materials used in the mortars, which were for the most part locally sourced. In one sample, imported volcanic pyroclastic rocks provided the compound of peculiar pozzolanic properties.
The paper aims to present the research project on the graffiti on wall plasters of the building to the east of the forum of Nora. The fragments number around one hundred and were most often recovered in collapse layers. They are analysed in terms of pictorial decoration, epigraphic and iconographic features, with the aim of reconstructing the original context and gaining new knowledge on the function of the building and the culture of its users.
In 2021 archeological survey carried out in the building located near the East side of the forum of Nora has involved the eastern part of the complex, resuming the excavations of rooms VII and VIII, already started in previous years. While in room VII the survey has mainly contributed to increase the knowledge on the last phases of life, abandonment, and collapse of the building, in room VIII excavation has deepened and brought to light two building phases which preceded the imperial complex.
Trench II was excavated to the south of the building located at the east of the Roman forum and it brought to light the wide road that, starting from the forum, reached the eastern district of Nora. The stratigraphic excavation highlighted a dense succession of street levels. A preliminary chronological definition of the road layers is provided based on typological study of the ceramic finds.
Archaeological research has a close connection with written sources: the Classics and the epigraphy are stepping stones in the analysis of an archaeological context. Based on the case-study of Padova in the Roman age, this paper aims at discussing the significance of reading and commenting the literary and epigraphical sources from an archaeological point of view in teaching Latin. To get this goal, the use of innovative technologies and museum learning activities go to play an important role.
Le ricerche archeologiche presso l’antica città di Nora presero avvio con i primi scavi governativi di F. Vivanet e F. Nissardi (1890-1892); un decennio dopo (1901), fu G. Patroni a condurre le prime indagini sistematiche assieme allo studio dei rinvenimenti degli anni precedenti. Nonostante ciò, fu solo con il secondo Dopoguerra e con la grande stagione di scavi di G. Pesce (1952-1960), che al grande pubblico venne data la possibilità di conoscere e visitare Nora. Gli interventi del Soprintendente, infatti, presero le mosse da un interesse di promozione turistica dell’ESIT, proprietario della penisola, e proseguirono con il duplice intento di mettere in luce l’assetto monumentale della città e di realizzare il primo parco archeologico della Sardegna. Molti rapporti manoscritti, carte e fotografie di queste ricerche rimasero inediti in archivi pubblici e privati: un’analisi critica di questi documenti consente oggi di ricostruire la storia delle ricerche, le vicende amministrative e le attività di tutela e valorizzazione nel contesto dell’epoca.
Il contributo esamina i tempi e i modi di utilizzo dei materiali lapidei a Padova nell'età del Ferro, in un periodo compreso fra la nascita del centro protourbano (fine del IX-inizi dell'VIII sec. a.C.) e la romanizzazione (III-II sec. a.C.). Pur entro i limiti derivanti da una generale assenza di analisi archeometriche sui litotipi, la raccolta sistematica e il riesame dei dati editi consente di rileggere la traiettoria di sviluppo del centro di Padova nei suoi aspetti di progres-siva monumentalizzazione e nelle sue relazioni con le fonti e i bacini di approvvigionamento. I risultati della ricerca evidenziano come nella fase protourbana le risorse lapidee risultano scarsamente impiegate. In tale quadro, i rarissimi casi di impiego di materiale durevole meri-tano particolare attenzione sia per la scelta esclusiva della trachite dei Colli Euganei, sia per i contesti di rinvenimento. A partire dall'avanzato VI secolo a.C. i materiali lapidei conoscono un notevole incremento quantitativo e un allargamento dei contesti di utilizzo. Questi cambia-menti, che attestano l'accesso a risorse differenziate entro un ampio bacino di controllo, sono da ricondurre alle trasformazioni socio-politiche di Padova, che ha ormai raggiunto la fisionomia urbana
This paper aims to examine the stratigraphic context marked by the presence of a ritual deposit of 49 Antoniniani, found in the building eastward of the Nora Roman forum. The group of coins dates back to 282-283 AD: this precise information contributes to the typological and chronological analysis of the finds and it enables further remarks on pottery classes and formation processes of the stratigraphic context.
In 2018 and 2019 the University of Padova carried on an archaeological survey of the Roman Imperial building situated beyond the eastern edge of the forum and southeast of the so-called Casa Sarda (PO area). The survey was conducted in different areas: the excavation was carried on with a focus on the northwestern area of the building (rooms I, XI, XII) and on its southwestern (rooms III, XIII) and southeastern (room VII) edges, and the excavation area was expanded eastward, which brought to light several structural evidences, including an apsidal room (room XIV). The removal of the layers of collapse revealed information about walls made of mud-bricks covered with painted plaster, the layout of the first floor and the articulation of the roof of the rooms. Finally, the presence of various closed passages and numerous fragments of semi-worked bones in the abandonment deposits shed light on the last phases of occupancy of the building.
Since 2014, archaeological researches in the building eastward of the Nora Roman forum have been carried out with the following aims: the complete excavation of the Roman Middle Imperial building and the understanding of its architectural and functional features. In 2018 and 2019, the layers of collapse have been almost completely investigated; at the same time, fragments of wall paintings have been subjected to reconstruction and iconographic analysis; moreover the studies concerning both pottery findings and structural analysis of the building have been realized.
The Middle-Imperial building located near the east side of the Roman forum of Nora (Pula, Sardinia) is the subject of the archaeological research carried out by the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Padova. The excavation of some rooms of the building has revealed an interesting stratigraphy dealing with the collapse of plastered mudbrick walls and the presence of well preserved regular rows of mudbricks. The graphic documentation of the excavation has been implemented with photogrammetric data, acquired both during the field work and the studying phase in the laboratory. This allowed to reconstruct the painted decoration system of the room with most preserved fragments of painted plaster (room VIII) and to analyse negative imprints of mudbrick on the back side of the plaques. The integration of photogrammetric information and reconstruction data of the collapsed painting plasters allowed to identify size and layout of mudbricks and to advance new hypothesis about building and collapsing processes.
The target of the present research is the analysis of the characteristics of mudbricks, throughout a multi-analytical approach integrating archaeometric investigations (transmitted light optical microscopy and X-Ray Powder Diffraction) and mechanical compression tests performed at the laboratories of the Department of Geosciences and of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering of the University of Padova. Unfortunately, post-depositional events caused the substantial mechanical disaggregation of mudbrick walls to such an extent that they were hardly distinguishable within the clayish matrix constituting the archaeological deposit. This represented the main issue of the research as the analyses were limited to only two sufficiently cohesive mudbricks.
The experimental outcomes highlighted that both the analysed elements were produced by mixing local clays with an abundant sand fraction. Then they were sundried or, possibly, heated in ovens at low temperatures. Mechanical tests indicated an unconfined compressive strength of about 1.8 MPa, which can be considered compatible with the construction of a two-storey building. The investigations provided useful data for the possible reconstruction of raw materials and production process of mudbricks in Roman Sardinia, and of their use in low-rise buildings.
By means of the analysis of the case study of Aquileia, using published and unpublished data, this paper aims at reconstructing the types of vehicles, the timing of transportation and the quantity of stone used to pave the urban streets of one of the most important cities of Northern Italy at the beginning of the Imperial Age.
Nora allow us to appreciably improve the quality of the knowledge about dynamics of transformation in the early centuries of Roman administration (3rd-1st century BC). With that being the backdrop, this paper aims to propose a reconstruction of the changes in the urban system as a result of the socio-political transformation process from Punic to Roman city, with a focus on public and sacred areas.
In the past few years, this tool has been used to collect published and unpublished archaeological and archaeometric data about Euganean trachyte, one of the most significant stones quarried in Regio X. The database has proven useful and has contributed to the obtaining of an integrated study of the chronology of the samples, the quarries of provenance and the cities of final destination and to reflections about the commercial dynamics of Euganean trachyte in Roman Northern Italy.
Prendendo le mosse dallo studio analitico di questi ritrovamenti, l’Autore propone un tentativo di ricostruzione delle dinamiche di diffusione del materiale trachitico in età romana: un’analisi combinata di carattere petrografico e geochimico consente infatti di determinare le cave euganee dalle quali venne estratto il materiale per la realizzazione degli elementi architettonici o dei manufatti; sulla base di queste stesse indagini è inoltre possibile ricavare informazioni sul ciclo di attivazione, sfruttamento e abbandono dei siti estrattivi sui Colli Euganei. Allo stesso modo, uno studio integrato della cronologia dei campioni, delle loro cave di provenienza e dei centri in cui sono stati esportati permette di elaborare riflessioni attorno alle dinamiche commerciali e all’impiego della trachite euganea in Italia settentrionale nel corso dell’età romana.
Prendendo le mosse dallo studio analitico di questi ritrovamenti, l’Autore propone un tentativo di ricostruzione delle dinamiche di diffusione del materiale trachitico in età romana: un’analisi combinata di carattere petrografico e geochimico consente infatti di determinare le cave euganee dalle quali venne estratto il materiale per la realizzazione degli elementi architettonici o dei manufatti; sulla base di queste stesse indagini è inoltre possibile ricavare informazioni sul ciclo di attivazione, sfruttamento e abbandono dei siti estrattivi sui Colli Euganei. Allo stesso modo, uno studio integrato della cronologia dei campioni, delle loro cave di provenienza e dei centri in cui sono stati esportati permette di elaborare riflessioni attorno alle dinamiche commerciali e all’impiego della trachite euganea in Italia settentrionale nel corso dell’età romana.
Prendendo le mosse dallo studio analitico di questi ritrovamenti, l’Autore propone un tentativo di ricostruzione delle dinamiche di diffusione del materiale trachitico in età romana: un’analisi combinata di carattere petrografico e geochimico consente infatti di determinare le cave euganee dalle quali venne estratto il materiale per la realizzazione degli elementi architettonici o dei manufatti; sulla base di queste stesse indagini è inoltre possibile ricavare informazioni sul ciclo di attivazione, sfruttamento e abbandono dei siti estrattivi sui Colli Euganei. Allo stesso modo, uno studio integrato della cronologia dei campioni, delle loro cave di provenienza e dei centri in cui sono stati esportati permette di elaborare riflessioni attorno alle dinamiche commerciali e all’impiego della trachite euganea in Italia settentrionale nel corso dell’età romana.
Prendendo le mosse dallo studio analitico di questi ritrovamenti, l’Autore propone un tentativo di ricostruzione delle dinamiche di diffusione del materiale trachitico in età romana: un’analisi combinata di carattere petrografico e geochimico consente infatti di determinare le cave euganee dalle quali venne estratto il materiale per la realizzazione degli elementi architettonici o dei manufatti; sulla base di queste stesse indagini è inoltre possibile ricavare informazioni sul ciclo di attivazione, sfruttamento e abbandono dei siti estrattivi sui Colli Euganei. Allo stesso modo, uno studio integrato della cronologia dei campioni, delle loro cave di provenienza e dei centri in cui sono stati esportati permette di elaborare riflessioni attorno alle dinamiche commerciali e all’impiego della trachite euganea in Italia settentrionale nel corso dell’età romana.
Abstract (inglese): The volume has 20 maps attached; these small and large-scale charts represent the maritime space of Nora in which M. Cassien led his underwater archeological researches and show the re-positioned finds.
Abstract (inglese): The topographic survey was one of the best cared for activities during the underwater researches led by M. Cassien in Nora. Thanks to linear and angular measurements, more than thirty maps were drawn; they represented the position of the archaeological finds, as well as the reference systems used: the accuracy of the survey of the French team made the research more scientific; it has also allowed a reliable re-positioning of the finds and the production of the 20 maps attached to this volume.
Abstract (inglese): Michel Cassien (Paris, 1937-2011) taught physics at Paris VI University, but he devoted much of his life to his passion for archaeology and so, between the 70s and the 80s of the last century, he led six underwater archaeological missions in Nora.
According to these findings, important implications can be inferred for distribution of trachyte in Roman times: a combined approach, involving petrographic and geochemical data, allows definitely identifying the quarry of Euganean trachyte in which architectural elements or artefacts were extracted.
This analytical method makes it possible to argue about the cycle of activation, exploitation and exhaustion of the Euganean quarries. Therewithal, an integrated study of the chronology of the trachytic sample, their quarries of provenance in Euganean Hills and the cities of final destination allows reflecting about commercial dynamics and giving an overall view of the use of Euganean trachyte in Roman Northern Italy.
Partendo dal caso di Aquileia, attraverso il riesame dei dati editi e inediti, il presente contributo si propone quindi di ricostruire la tipologia dei mezzi utilizzati, i tempi necessari al trasporto e la quantità di pietra impiegata nelle opere pubbliche delle principali città dell’Italia settentrionale fra la fine dell’età repubblicana e l’inizio dell’età imperiale.
On the one hand, the project consists in taking a census of the ancient quarries of Regio X, in order to understand which were the natural resources exploited in the Roman age. On the other hand, it aims at studying and registering artifacts, structures and infrastructures made of stones extracted in this region.
To get these goals, it has been developed a database that links extraction basins and related quarries, artifacts and structural elements, as well as samples taken from archaeological finds and from quarries.
Until now, the attention has been focused on Euganean trachyte (Venetian Volcanic Province) and Aurisina’s limestone (Trieste Karst), and the research has been carried out by means of published and unpublished data, both about quarries and archaeological finds.
Thanks to the integration of the database with a GIS mapping software, it has been possible to realize interesting reconstructions of commercial fluxes of stones extracted in Regio X, useful to a better understanding of the economical relationships between ancient cities and surrounding territories.
Questa pietra trovò impiego tanto nelle fondazioni quanto negli alzati degli edifici, rispettivamente come blocchi sbozzati oppure rifiniti, ma venne messa in opera principalmente nelle pavimentazioni stradali. Basoli trachitici provenienti dai Colli Euganei sono stati identificati verso est sino ad Aquileia, ma risultano utilizzati anche nelle maggiori città sorte lungo la via Aemilia e in un selciato di Ancona, centro più a meridione rispetto al bacino di approvvigionamento in cui è stato documentato l’uso della trachite in un tratto viario. Oltre che in ambito architettonico, la trachite euganea fu sfruttata per produrre manufatti, principalmente strumenti per la macinazione, ma si realizzarono sovente anche cippi, stele e monumenti iscritti.
Sulla base di questi ritrovamenti, possono essere ricostruite le dinamiche di diffusione del materiale trachitico in età romana: un’analisi combinata di carattere petrografico e geochimico consente di determinare le cave euganee dalle quali venne estratto il materiale per la realizzazione degli elementi architettonici o dei manufatti; sulla base di queste stesse indagini è inoltre possibile ricavare informazioni sul ciclo di attivazione, sfruttamento e abbandono dei siti estrattivi sui Colli Euganei. Allo stesso modo, infatti, uno studio integrato della cronologia dei campioni, delle loro cave di provenienza e dei centri in cui sono stati esportati consente di elaborare riflessioni attorno alle dinamiche commerciali e all’impiego della trachite euganea in Italia settentrionale nel corso dell’età romana.
Introducono Francesca Ghedini (direttrice della collana Antenor Quaderni - Università degli Studi di Padova), Jacopo Bonetto (direttore del Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali - Università degli Studi di Padova) e Arnaldo Soldani (direttore del Dipartimento di Culture e Civiltà - Università degli Studi di Verona).
Programma:
Alessandro Borghi (Università degli Studi di Torino), Alfredo Buonopane (Università degli Studi di Verona) e Luciano Zanaica (Banca dei Colli Euganei) presentano "La trachite euganea. Archeologia e storia di una risorsa lapidea del Veneto antico" di Arturo ZARA.
Stefania Pesavento Mattioli (Università degli Studi di Padova) e Marie-Brigitte Carre (Aix-Marseille Université) presentano "Tra Oriente e Occidente. Dinamiche commerciali in Moesia Inferior e Thracia in epoca romana. I dati delle anfore" di Diana DOBREVA.