SIX COLOURED TYPES OF STONE FROM ASIA MINOR USED BY THE ROMANS, AND THEIR SPECIFIC DETERIORATION PROBLEMS

Abstract

The paper presents a short history of use and a minero-petrographic characterization of six important coloured stone types originating from Asia Minor (Turkey) much used by the Romans in all the provinces of their Empire as decorative stone, mostly for opera sectilia and columns. Two of these stones, marmor troadense from Çigri Dāg (Ezine) and marmor mysium from Kozak (Bergama) are granitoids. Two are metamorphites: marmor iassense from Iasos (Kiykislacik, Mylas) and marmor lucullaeum from Teos (Sigacik, Izmir), and two are sedimentary rocks: marmor sagarium, an oligomictic breccia from Vezirhan (Bilecik), and marmor triponticum, a rudist limestone from Kutluca (Izmit). Distribution maps and the main morphologies, causes and mechanisms of deterioration are presented and discussed.