Mineralogical Insights to Identify Göktepe Marble in the Sculptural Program of Quinta Das Longas Villa (Lusitania)
This archaeometric study is focused on the marble used in a group of fragmented sculptures found at the Roman villa of Quinta das Longas (Elvas, Portugal). Dating from the 4th century AD, the pieces are of remarkable quality and correspond to ideal and mythological figures from several iconographic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Minerals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/11/1194 |
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| author | M. Pilar Lapuente Mercadal Trinidad Nogales-Basarrate Antonio Carvalho |
| author_facet | M. Pilar Lapuente Mercadal Trinidad Nogales-Basarrate Antonio Carvalho |
| author_sort | M. Pilar Lapuente Mercadal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This archaeometric study is focused on the marble used in a group of fragmented sculptures found at the Roman villa of Quinta das Longas (Elvas, Portugal). Dating from the 4th century AD, the pieces are of remarkable quality and correspond to ideal and mythological figures from several iconographic cycles. The numerous fragments, all of very fine-grained white marble, are associated with the ornamentation of an impressive nymphaeum of the villa. Their high level of sculpture technique and style, the models followed and their similar typology to other well-known parallels raise the hypothesis of being linked with Aphrodisian workshops. Using a well-established multi-method approach, with Optical microscopy, X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), qualitative and quantitative cathodoluminescence (CL) by CL-Optical and CL-SEM, and stable C and O isotopic and trace element analytical techniques (IRMS and ICP-AES), together with complementary parameters obtained from electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr isotopes, the marble provenance can be identified with certainty. The results all point to the best quality of white Göktepe marble, confirming the stylistic connection to the ancient Carian sculptors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:15:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c7d40d583b6c4f8082b0849aedd265c3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-163X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:15:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Minerals |
| spelling | doaj.art-c7d40d583b6c4f8082b0849aedd265c32023-11-23T00:31:40ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2021-10-011111119410.3390/min11111194Mineralogical Insights to Identify Göktepe Marble in the Sculptural Program of Quinta Das Longas Villa (Lusitania)M. Pilar Lapuente Mercadal0Trinidad Nogales-Basarrate1Antonio Carvalho2Petrology and Geochemistry, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR), C/Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50009 Zaragoza, SpainRoman Art National Museum (MNAR), C/José Ramón Mélida, s/n, 06800 Mérida, SpainNational Museum Archaeology (MNA), Praça do Império, 1400-026 Lisbon, PortugalThis archaeometric study is focused on the marble used in a group of fragmented sculptures found at the Roman villa of Quinta das Longas (Elvas, Portugal). Dating from the 4th century AD, the pieces are of remarkable quality and correspond to ideal and mythological figures from several iconographic cycles. The numerous fragments, all of very fine-grained white marble, are associated with the ornamentation of an impressive nymphaeum of the villa. Their high level of sculpture technique and style, the models followed and their similar typology to other well-known parallels raise the hypothesis of being linked with Aphrodisian workshops. Using a well-established multi-method approach, with Optical microscopy, X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), qualitative and quantitative cathodoluminescence (CL) by CL-Optical and CL-SEM, and stable C and O isotopic and trace element analytical techniques (IRMS and ICP-AES), together with complementary parameters obtained from electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr isotopes, the marble provenance can be identified with certainty. The results all point to the best quality of white Göktepe marble, confirming the stylistic connection to the ancient Carian sculptors.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/11/1194archaeometrymarbleGöktepeAphrodisian workshopsRoman Lusitaniacultural heritage |
| spellingShingle | M. Pilar Lapuente Mercadal Trinidad Nogales-Basarrate Antonio Carvalho Mineralogical Insights to Identify Göktepe Marble in the Sculptural Program of Quinta Das Longas Villa (Lusitania) Minerals archaeometry marble Göktepe Aphrodisian workshops Roman Lusitania cultural heritage |
| title | Mineralogical Insights to Identify Göktepe Marble in the Sculptural Program of Quinta Das Longas Villa (Lusitania) |
| title_full | Mineralogical Insights to Identify Göktepe Marble in the Sculptural Program of Quinta Das Longas Villa (Lusitania) |
| title_fullStr | Mineralogical Insights to Identify Göktepe Marble in the Sculptural Program of Quinta Das Longas Villa (Lusitania) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mineralogical Insights to Identify Göktepe Marble in the Sculptural Program of Quinta Das Longas Villa (Lusitania) |
| title_short | Mineralogical Insights to Identify Göktepe Marble in the Sculptural Program of Quinta Das Longas Villa (Lusitania) |
| title_sort | mineralogical insights to identify goktepe marble in the sculptural program of quinta das longas villa lusitania |
| topic | archaeometry marble Göktepe Aphrodisian workshops Roman Lusitania cultural heritage |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/11/11/1194 |
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