Archaeometric Study of the white marbles from the Archaeological Site of S. Omobono (Rome-Italy)

Abstract

This work represents the first archaeometric study carried out on white marble artefacts comingfromseveral areas of the archaeological site of S. Omobono, located in a central area of Rome (Italy). Thestudy was performed on a total of nineteen marble items, sampled fromseveral areas of thesite, bycombining different laboratory techniques – including optical microscopy (OM), X-raypowderdiffraction (XRPD), Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)andIsotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) of C and O – with the aim to characterise themandtodetermine their provenance. The minero-petrographic features observed, together withtheCandOstable isotopes ratios recorded, the evaluation of the Sr and Mn contents, and the XRDrefinementofthe calcite unit-cell parameters, allowed us to prove that the marbles used in the S. Omobonositemainly come from the Apuan Alps basin (Carrara) and, in few cases, fromcontinental (Mt. Penteli)and insular (Paros-Lakkoi or Thasos-Aliki district) Greek quarries.