Stone use in Roman towns: Resources, transport, products and clients: Case study Sirmium: Second report

Abstract

The project work in the 2007 season included the analysis of stone monuments held at the Museum of Srem and across the town of Sremska Mitrovica as well as at Site 1a - Imperial palace. Particular attention was paid to two closed groups: the monolithic altars from the temple of Iuppiter within the statio beneficiarii, made between ca AD100 and 231, and the remains of the temple known as the 'Tetrapylon', consisting of blocks of limestone. The results of the analysis show a parallel and quantitatively comparable use of limestone of Lithotypes I and II for altars dating from ca AD100 to ca 185 as well as a predominance of Lithotype II in later times. The analysis of the limestone blocks used in the construction of the 'Tetrapylon', on the other hand, has shown the material to originate from the Dardagani quarry and revealed an as yet unknown lithotype from the area.

Keywords

• Sirmium
• statio beneficiarii
• Tetrapylon
• limestone characterization
• monolithic altars
• building material