Methods of quantitative and qualitative analyses of ancient marble finds assemblages. The cases of early Byzantine Hawara, Porphyreon, and Philoxenite

Abstract

Quantitative and qualitative analyses of marble finds at ancient sites are rare, one of the reasons being the lack of standard measures enabling comparison of different assemblages. The paper discusses the applicability and limitations of various methods of quantitative and qualitative analyses, which were tested on datasets of marble objects and excavation results from three medium-sized early Byzantine settlements: Hawara, Porphyreon, and Philoxenite. The tests involved the comparison of volume measurement results obtained for different functional and material-based classes of objects. The analyses confirmed a significant variability among the assemblages, which seems to have been related to the diverse geographic location and socio-religious significance of the settlements. Besides proving the applicability of the methods used, the study has indicated their potential for use in reconstructing consumption patterns in various types of settlements and investigating their intra- and supra-regional diversity.

Keywords

• marble
• quantification
• early Byzantine period
• Eastern Mediterranean
• Philoxenite
• Porphyreon