ROMAN-ETRUSCAN ETRURIA: CITIES AND STONE RESOURCES

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Benjamin Cunningham
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Massimo Coli, Dr. Geol. Michele Baldi, Dr. Jacopo Sabatini - Dip.

1 ROMAN-ETRUSCAN ETRURIA: CITIES AND STONE RESOURCES the case histories of Roselle and Cosa Roselle Cosa Prof. Geol. Massimo Coli, Dr. Geol. Michele Baldi, Dr. Jacopo Sabatini - Dip. Scienze della Terra UNIFI Dr. Geol. Pasquino Pallecchi - Laboratorio di Restauro - SBAT

Over the past decades a claimed interest in "historic quarries rose up: quarries no longer active from which the raw stone material, which is found today in the work, monuments, works of art,

2 Over the past decades a claimed interest in "historic quarries rose up: quarries no longer active from which the raw stone material, which is found today in the work, monuments, works of art, archaeological sites and manufactured for use in common was extracted The "historic quarries" are to be regarded as examples of architecture carved out or negative of the architecture built, a unique historical heritage to be exploited These quarries are the historical tangible trace of the human activities related to the use of stone materials for construction and thus potential sources of knowledge about the cycles of production, transportation, and employment related to them in time This work concerns the local stone resource and its historic use in Roselle and Cosa, Southern Tuscany, during the Etruscan-Roman period The different development of the two cities is reflected in the local use and in the localization of the quarries

3 ROSELLE It was settled in the VII century B.C. in a strategic position to control the main links in Southern Tuscany: it controls a wide area until to the territories of the other Etruscan cities-state of Volterra, Chiusi, Vulci and Vetulonia. In those times Roselle was characterized by the construction of the cyclopean defensive city-walls (VI century B.C.). In the 294 B.C. Roselle was conquered by the Romans who built the forum, amphitheater, baths and the main sewer. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Roselle followed the events around the Mediterranean area; especially it became Episcopal until to 1138 when the diocese was transferred to Grosseto, since this moment the decline began and Roselle was progressively abandoned quarry sites old necropolis quarry sites Roselle

COSA It was settled by the Romans in the 273 B.C., in the Vulci s territories, after Vulci defeated in the 280 B.C.. Cosa became the first roman colony in the Etruscan territory, it was placed in a strategic position to control the country-side and the shipping.

4 COSA It was settled by the Romans in the 273 B.C., in the Vulci s territories, after Vulci defeated in the 280 B.C.. Cosa became the first roman colony in the Etruscan territory, it was placed in a strategic position to control the country-side and the shipping. Cosa represents a typical roman colony: roads intersect at right angles and there are spaces for public or private buildings. The control of the territories was made through land reclamation (centuriazione), roads, links, ports and others. The first and the more important construction of the city was the cyclopean defensive citywalls. After a fire in the 71 B.C. the city was abandoned until the 20 B.C., (Augustan age), when it the forum and acropolis were reconstructed. From this moment, the city began a slow decline. quarry sites Cosa

5 GEOLOGY OF THE ROSELLE AREA

6 GEOLOGY OF THE COSA AREA

7 THE REMAINS OF ROSELLE THE REMAINS ARE REPRESENTED BY THE DEFENSIVE WALLS, ANPHITHEATER AND SOME DOMUS

8 THE REMAINS OF ROSELLE Opus reticulatum Opus reticulatum amphiteather walls Cyclopean defensive walls

9 THE REMAINS OF COSA THE REMAINS ARE REPRESENTED BY THE DEFENSIVE WALLS, ACROPOLIS AND FORUM

10 THE REMAINS OF COSA Capitolium Capitolium and limestone outcrop Cyclopean defensive walls Cyclopean defensive walls

11 FOR EACH QUARRY SITE IN BOTH CITIES A SURVEY FORM WAS FILLED WITH ALL THE DATA USEFULL FOR ITS ANALYSIS: GPS DATA LITOLOGIC DATA BEDDING FRACTURE SET QUARRY CUT SET PHOTOS NOTES MAP LOCATION

12 FOR EACH LITOBUILT SITE IN BOTH CITIES A SURVEY FORM WAS FILLED WITH ALL THE DATA USEFULL FOR ITS ANALYSIS: LITOLOGIC DATA STONE RESOURCE BUILDING DATA FIGURES PHOTOS NOTES MAP LOCATION

13 ROSELLE EXTRACTION SITES

14 COSA EXTRACTION SITES

15 ROSELLE LITOBUILT SITES

16 COSA LITOBUILT SITES

17 QUARRY SITES ANCIENT QUARRIES WERE WORKED AS OPEN PIT QUARRIERS USED THE BEDDING WEAKER SURFACE IN ORDER TO FOSTER THE BREAK OF THE BLOCK

18 ENUCLEATED BLOCKS In the absence of clear and defined working traces, probably due to the type of extract limestone and climate conditions, an important role is represented by the presence of the enucleated blocks

19 CITIES EVOLUTION AND DIFFERENCE IN THE QUARRIES LOCATION The because of the different quarries location between Roselle and Cosa is probably represented by the different foundation s reasons: Roselle like as an important site to control and to link the Etruscan territories and the major ancient roads; Cosa as a stronghold on a geological surface leveling, on a promontory overlooking the sea and controlling the shipping Topographic section about Cosa

outside the city-walls, but close to them in order to increase the gap between the outside

20 CITIES EVOLUTION AND DIFFERENCE IN THE QUARRIES LOCATION In Roselle area the quarries were mainly within the city-walls (or outside but very close to them) In Cosa the quarries ere outside the city-walls, but close to them in order to increase the gap between the outside ground level and the wall top, in agreement with the role of a fortified city Cosa Roselle

CONCLUSIONS THE STONES USED ARE STRICTLY RELATED TO THE GEOLOGY OF THE AREA, ACCORDING WITH THE LITOLOGIC PRESENCE OF THE STONE RESOURCE AND DURABILITY THE QUARRIES OF LIMESTONE POINT IN FAVOUR OF A

21 CONCLUSIONS THE STONES USED ARE STRICTLY RELATED TO THE GEOLOGY OF THE AREA, ACCORDING WITH THE LITOLOGIC PRESENCE OF THE STONE RESOURCE AND DURABILITY THE QUARRIES OF LIMESTONE POINT IN FAVOUR OF A SPECIFIC USE TO BUILT THE DEFENSIVE WALLS, THE MOST IMPORTANT STRUCTURES IN ROSELLE AND COSA THE STUDY OF THE QUARRY SITES AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF THESE SITES ARE IMPORTANT TO OPEN A WINDOW TO THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF THE CITIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUES REGARDING QUARRYING, WORKING TOOLS, LOCATION AND TRANSPORTING

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