Analytical characterisation of the granitic rocks used in the vomitoria of the Roman amphitheatre in Emerita Augusta

Mota-López, María Isabel; Fort, Rafael; Álvarez de Buergo, Mónica; Pizzo, Antonio

doi:10.1007/s12210-022-01058-9

Research Paper
Published: 17 February 2022

Analytical characterisation of the granitic rocks used in the vomitoria of the Roman amphitheatre in Emerita Augusta

Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali volume 33, pages 57–70 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

This work deals to determine the physical and the mechanical properties of the granitic rocks used in the Roman amphitheatre in Emerita Augusta. For this purpose, petrographic, geochemical and physical and mechanical analyses were used. The sampling in the amphitheatre was carried out taking into account granitic rocks that have not been replaced during its numerous restoration works. Mineralogical, textural, geochemical, physical and mechanical properties of the granitic rocks were obtained trying to obtain the relationships between them and showing that porosity influences in their mechanical properties. The petrographic characterisation and the geochemical signature of the samples allowed us identifying the granite types used in the monument as well as the acceptable conservation state of it.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to PhD. Cecilia Pérez-Soba for her valuable comments about the geochemical analyses which helped us to understand the data obtained in the monument. We extend our thanks to the Monumental Consortium of Merida for give us the legal authorization for sampling the monument.

Funding

This work was supported by Top Heritage (P2018/NMT-4372) programme from the Regional Government of Madrid (Spain). The authors wish to acknowledge professional support of the Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform from CSIC Open Heritage: Research and Society (PTI-PAS).

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Authors and Affiliations

Instituto Tecnológico de Rocas Ornamentales y Materiales de Construcción (INTROMAC), Campus Universidad de Extremadura, 10071, Caceres, Spain
María Isabel Mota-López
Instituto de Geociencias, Consejo Superior Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Complutense de Madrid (CSIC, UCM), Madrid, Spain
Rafael Fort & Mónica Álvarez de Buergo
Instituto de Arqueología de Merida, Consejo Superior Investigaciones Científicas (IAM-CSIC), Merida, Spain
Antonio Pizzo
Escuela Española de Historia y Arqueología en Roma, Consejo Superior Investigaciones Científicas (EEHAR-CSIC), Rome, Italy
Antonio Pizzo

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María Isabel Mota-López
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Rafael Fort
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Mónica Álvarez de Buergo
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Antonio Pizzo
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Correspondence to María Isabel Mota-López.

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Mota-López, M.I., Fort, R., Álvarez de Buergo, M. et al. Analytical characterisation of the granitic rocks used in the vomitoria of the Roman amphitheatre in Emerita Augusta. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 33, 57–70 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-022-01058-9

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Received: 28 October 2021
Accepted: 31 January 2022
Published: 17 February 2022
Issue Date: March 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-022-01058-9

Keywords

Physical properties
Mechanical properties
Petrographic analysis
Geochemical analysis
Granites
Heritage