Archaeometric Study and Chaîne Opératoire Approach to Mortars from Sagalassos and the Fort at Oudenburg. Integrating literary, archaeological and archaeometric evidence from the Roman World.

Abstract:Roman buildings had a lasting impact on architecture, construction and engineering laying the foundations for modern buildings. This is due to the unparalleled structures they were able to master such as monumental ones (e.g. theaters and bath complexes), underwater ones (e.g. harbours) and complex ones (e.g. aqueducts, bridges, domes and vaults). There are many still standing examples of these remarkable structures, overshadowing the many structures that have not survived to the present day. The achievement of these structures is often attributed to the implementation and development of mortar materials, integral part of these buildings. Studies on Roman mortars have largely focused on either characterizing the mortars or determining the most suitable conservation materials, thus treating mortars as objects of reverse-engineering to be replicated for their performance. Rather than pursuing these questions, this research is an archaeometric study coupled with a chaîne opératoire approach allowing us to see mortars as the material outcome of a complex web of human factors. This research examines mortar materials coming from the archaeological sites of Sagalassos (Anatolia) and the fort at Oudenburg (Belgium) dating back to the Roman Imperial period (ca. 1st c. BC-4th/5th c. AD). These were used for a number of purposes/functions (bedding, flooring, plastering, pointing) in a variety of settings (moisture, non-moisture settings). At a site level, the primary aims are addressing: (1) Raw materials and provenance; (2) Processing, application, recipes and uses. The archaeometric study employed a suite of analytical approaches, including macroscopic, microscopic, physical, spectroscopic, mineralogical and geochemical examinations. The final aim of understanding (3) The Wider Technology is addressed by bringing together the results from Sagalassos and the fort at Oudenburg with literary (Cato the Elder and Vitruvius) as well as archaeological/archaeometric evidence from sites across the Roman Empire. This allows us to have a broader understanding of mortar making practices.

Publication year:2025

Accessibility:Embargoed