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MA/PhD Theses Abstracts of Current Students & Alumni |
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Archambeault, Marie Jeanette (MA). Sourcing of marble used in mosaics at Antioch (Turkey), (Tykot). 2004.
Abstract: Artifacts made of durable materials, such as stone, can provide valuable clues to reconstruct the past. Marble sourcing, in particular,provides information about contact, trade, and other activities in the greater Mediterranean area. The Worcester Art Museum of Massachusetts (WAM) initiated a provenance study by requesting that an analysis of several marble artifacts occur at the University of South Florida's Archaeological Science Laboratory. The 55 marble samples used in this study are from the Worcester Art Museum's collection of Antioch mosaics. Positive results might reveal: 1) preferred sources of tesserae, 2) information about trade of specialized stone, 3) changes in preferred sources during different chronological periods, and 4) workshop preferences. The requested analysis had two objectives. First, once the provenance of the materials is determined, then the results could reveal meaning behind the images contained within the mosaic floor.
Second, the results could
reveal new trade routes in the Mediterranean. The first step in this
analysis was X-ray diffraction (XRD),which differentiates dolomite and
calcite marbles. The second step used stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA),
which measures carbon-13 and oxygen-18 isotopic ratios. These two steps
have helped to identify Mediterranean marble sources in previous studies.
Most of the ancient Mediterranean marble sources have been identified.
They have different isotopic values and other characteristics that allow
for differentiation. Only one source of dolomite marble exists, which
is located in the eastern Mediterranean. It has been identified through
XRD in previous studies. Many of the calcite marble sources have different
carbon and oxygen isotopic values, which were provided from the SIRA.
Those marble artifacts with overlapping carbon and oxygen values can
be further analyzed using archaeological, historical, and other information
and by using other scientific techniques including cathodoluminescence,
electron paramagnetic resonance, and strontium isotope analysis. This
thesis discusses the methods used to prepare the samples and analysis
conduction; it also discusses the results of the analyses, and presents
interpretations regarding the provenance and trade of the marble used
for mosaics at Antioch. The results of the SIRA and XRD analysis showed
that the materials used for mosaic tesserae come from a variety of
sources. Although no definitive matches were found, the results provide
the basis for the collection of a colored marble database of sources
and artifacts.
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