Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342

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Journal of Archaeological Science

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Review

Provenance of marbles used in the Heliocaminus Baths of Hadrian's

Villa (Tivoli, Italy)
Stefano Columbu a, *, Fabrizio Antonelli b, Marco Lezzerini c, Domenico Miriello d,
Benedetta Adembri e, Alessandro Blanco f
a
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Universita
degli Studi di Cagliari, Via Trentino 51, 09127 Cagliari, Italy
b
Laboratorio di Analisi dei Materiali Antichi, DACC, Universita
Iuav di Venezia, San Polo 2468, 30125 Venezia, Italy
c
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita
di Pisa, Via S. Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy
d
Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, Universita
della Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
e
Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Lazio, Ministero dei Beni e delle Attivita
Culturali e del Turismo, Via Pompeo Magno 2, 00192 Roma, Italy
f
Dipartimento di Scienze Antiche, Universita
“La Sapienza” di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, Italy

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This paper aims to ascertain the provenance of white and greyish marbles used for decorating the
Received 27 January 2014 Heliocaminus Baths, one of the most ancient thermal complexes inside the Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli (Italy).
Received in revised form Fifteen marble samples have been macroscopically described and investigated by means of mineral-
15 May 2014
ogical and petrographic observations of thin sections, XRF chemical analyses of major and some trace
Accepted 19 May 2014
Available online 9 June 2014
elements, and stable isotope ratio analysis of carbon and oxygen.
The collected data show that the majority of the marbles analysed come mainly from the Apuan Alps
basin (Carrara) and subordinately from several Greek (Mt. Penteli and Thasos Islands) and Turkish (Afyon
Keywords:
Hadrian's Villa
and probably Ephesus districts) quarrying areas.
Heliocaminus Baths © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
White marbles
Provenance
Petrographic features
Isotopic analysis
XRF
XRPD

1. Hadrian's Villa: previous work and aims
Since the 2nd century AD, the villa of the Emperor Hadrian at
Tivoli, about 25 km from Rome, was a luxurious residence. Over
time it became a laboratory for architectural and artistic creativity,
where technological and architectonical innovations were experi-
mented with to create a living environment characterized by
advanced urban and technical solutions (MacDonald and Pinto,
2006).
The construction of the villa began in 118 AD after the procla-
mation of the Emperor Hadrian. The custom of owning marvellous
residences outside of Rome had become typical for the Roman
* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ39 070 6757766, þ39 335 5633255 (mobile);
fax: þ39 070 282236.
E-mail addresses: columbus@unica.it, stefanocolumbu@yahoo.it (S. Columbu),
fabria@iuav.it (F. Antonelli), marco.lezzerini@unipi.it (M. Lezzerini), miriello@
unical.it (D. Miriello), benedetta.adembri@beniculturali.it (B. Adembri),
alessandroblanco@yahoo.it (A. Blanco).
emperors starting from Tiberio (27 AD) and the Hadrian's Villa
follows this tradition in its specific way, being not only an imperial
residence, but also a place for arts and architectonical
experimentations.
Observing the ruins and the finds coming from the villa, it is
beyond doubt that the villa echoes many different architectural
orders, mostly Greek and Egyptian (MacDonald and Pinto, 2006).
The villa construction continued for twenty years until Hadrian's
death in 138 AD and, although not fully completed, was used by
Hadrian's successors. During the decline of the Roman Empire the
villa fell into disuse and was left to its own fate and after many
years of decay was reduced to ruins with the surrounding area. The
remains of the monument were discovered again during the Re-
naissance, but its decay continued because of the abandon and
most of all because of heavy robbery of the statues, sculptures,
mosaics, stones, architectural elements and even pipes and bricks.
According to the contemporary state of knowledge, the Hadrian's
villa is a wide complex of over 30 buildings (including palaces,
several thermae, temples, libraries, rooms and quarters for

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.05.026
0305-4403/© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342 333

courtiers, praetorians and slaves), covering an area of at least 1
square kilometre (about 247 acres) of which much is still unexca-
vated (Giuliani, 1988).
The archaeological and archaeometric study of decorative,
sculptural and architectural materials from the Hadrian's Villa is an
important, intricate and wide research line which has involved
many researchers and different methodological approaches in the
last decades (Olevano et al., 1989; Pensabene et al., 2012; Salvatori
et al., 1988; Sapelli, 2010). This research project is particularly
important for the insights it should provide about the overall or-
ganization and the frequenters of one of the few well-preserved
Imperial complexes of Roman antiquity. Focusing on the use of
white marbles, the recent study conducted by Attanasio et al.
(2009a) on a large number of architectural elements coming from
three buildings (Piazza d’Oro; building of the Three Exedras;
building with Peristyle and Basin) has emphasized the prevalence
of Carrara marble (67% of the analysed samples), with subordinated
amounts of Pentelic (26%), Proconnesian (8%) and Thasian (2%)
lithotypes. These same occurrences, with additional significant
presence of the Parian, Docimian and Go €ktepe marbles used for
carvings, were substantially confirmed by the results achieved by
Pensabene et al. (2012), Lapuente et al. (2012), and Attanasio et al.
(2013a) on the provenance of the lithotypes used for both the
Canopus statuary and sculptures stored in the reserves of the Villa.
The present study, carried out under the direction and tutelage
of the “Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Lazio”, discusses
the results obtained with different analytical techniques in order to
determine the quarrying areas of the white marbles used for
architectural purposes in the Heliocaminus Baths of the Hadrian's
Villa. In fact, many works have definitively shown that the deter-
mination of the provenance of ancient white marble achieve suc-
cess when multi-analytical approach is envisaged (Antonelli and

Fig. 1. a, b. Overview of the Heliocaminus room of the Hadrian's baths, with a part of vault (a, view from the south) and heated swimming pool with steps (b, view from north).
334 S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342

Lazzarini, 2013a, 2013b; Antonelli et al., 2009a,b, 2013, 2014;
Attanasio et al., 2009a, 2013a; Germann et al., 1988; Gorgoni
et al., 2002; Lazzarini et al., 1980; Lezzerini et al., 2012; Miriello
et al., 2010, 2012; Moens et al., 1988).
2. The Heliocaminus Baths
The building takes its name from the circular space (Fig. 1)
identified first with a solar stove (Paribeni, 1922), then with a
Sudatio (Verduchi, 1975) and today as a heated swimming pool
(Manderscheid, 1998).
The positioning of the structure has been appropriately
designed so that the outer surface could be exposed to the sun in
the afternoon (Fig. 2), time in which Romans usually went to the
baths. The south side of the hall is formed by large windows, surely
equipped with glass, while on the opposite side, near the entrances
to the hall, there were steps allowing for a comfortable entry into
the water. In the map of Fig. 2, the windows are identified by five
openings located to the south. The diameter of the room is about
10 m over an area of 115 square meters. The largest room of the
complex, the Frigidarium (room 14, Fig. 2; Fig. 3) has an outdoor
pool (room 4b, Fig. 2) that occupies an area of 450 square meters
(Natatio). The pool, carved almost in the centre of the room, was
made smaller in a following phase: the original access was possible
through five flights of stairs of which four were shaped as a clove
with angle of 90 arranged on the sides of its perimeter. The fifth
ramp runs in the middle of the east side of the pool, which is
located centrally with respect to a peristyle of columns made of
granite.
The perimeter of the area occupied by the baths is irregular, with
a stepped arrangement, to ensure a better insulation to the heated
rooms; this planimetric solution is unusual and the construction of
straight fronts was generally preferred (as in western fronts of the
Small and Large Baths), but it was still used in the Forum Baths in
Ostia (although flipped; Verduchi, 1975) and then in the Baths of
Maxentius on the Palatine in Rome (Nielsen, 1990).
This bath belongs to that large group of balnea in which archi-
tects introduced countless variations on a basic theme, consisting of
entrance hall, dressing room, toilet, pools and water at different
temperatures, and some other spaces designed for specific needs.
The still well preserved and slightly irregular octagonal plan and
its vaults, together with the dome above the circular room, give us
an idea of the complexity and variety of the covers used in the
baths, with asymmetric design characterized by volumes rather
discordant (MacDonald and Pinto, 2006).
This complex is very different from the 'Large Baths' of Hadrian's
Villa. The latter, in order to allow bathing for a large number of
people, was built to accommodate many more people than the
Heliocaminus Baths, but its architecture was characterized by less
interesting solutions, taking a cue from similar previous experi-
ences in the thermae of Rome (Nielsen, 1990; Gros, 2001).
For building up the Heliocaminus Baths different raw materials
(e.g., various Roman bricks, worked stones, marbles, etc.) were used
with various textures (opus testaceum, opus reticulatum, opus cae-
meticium), using different kind of bedding mortars and concretes
(Columbu and Verdiani, 2011).
Today the slabs of coloured marbles originally coating walls,
seats, bathtubs and floors are lost for the most part. However, the

Fig. 2. Map of the current state of the Heliocaminus Baths, showing the distribution of rooms and the sampling location. Legend of room numbers (from Guidobaldi, 1994): 1 ¼ porch;
3-3a ¼ corridor; 4a ¼ tri-porch; 4b ¼ Natatio; 5-6-7 ¼ Apodyteria (?); 9 ¼ Sudatio; 10, 11 ¼ Tepidarium; 13 ¼ Latrina; 14 ¼ Frigidarium; 15 ¼ Tepidarium; 16 ¼ heated swimming pool
of Heliocaminus room; 19 ¼ Tepidarium; 20 ¼ Calidarium; 21 ¼ boiler room; 23 ¼ Calidarium; 1a, 2, 8, 8b, 12, 17, 18, 22 ¼ rooms or spaces not identifiable. In cyan the water of the
pools. Geometric-structural relief. Verduchi's survey (1975): rooms 1-3-4-9-10-14-16-17; Blanco's survey (2011): rooms 1a, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8b, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.
 S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342 335

Fig. 3. Overview (from the north) of the Frigidarium room, with outdoor pool (Natatio).

skirting boards provide an example of a variety of cipollino marino
(Guidobaldi, 2010).
3. Materials and methods
Marble sampling was carried out in September 2010. A total of
15 marble items were sampled (Table 1 and Fig. 2): four samples
(ADTH 57÷60; Fig. 4) belong to the slabs of wall and pool coverings
of the Heliocaminus room; one sample (ADTH 61; Fig. 5) is from the
Corinthian capital, today located in the Heliocaminus room but
originally belonging to one of the columns of the tri-porch of the
Apodyterium room; ten samples (ADTH 70÷79) are fragments found
during the excavation campaign 1984e1985 (De Franceschini,
1991) and now put on the Apodyterium room (room 5, Fig. 2)
belonging to the artefacts of the Heliocaminus Baths.
A representative portion of each sample was used to prepare a
thin section for the study under the polarized light microscopy
(PLM) useful for determining the petrographic features (fabric;
grain boundary shape: GBS; maximum grain size of the bigger
calcite/dolomite crystal: MGS) and to evaluate the presence and the
abundance of the accessory minerals.
Qualitative mineralogical composition of the marble samples
was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) using a
PANalytical Empyrean diffractometer (instrumental conditions: Ni-
filtered CuKa radiation obtained at 40 kV and 40 mA, 5e60  2q
investigated range, 0.02 step, 2s counting time per step).
Carbon and oxygen stable isotopes were measured by mass
spectrometry (McCrea, 1950). Carbonate powders were reacted
with 100% phosphoric acid at 70  C using a Gasbench II connected
to a ThermoFinnigan Five-Plus mass spectrometer. All values are
reported in per mil relative to V-PDB by assigning a 13C value
of þ1.95 and an 18O value of 2.20 to the reference material NBS
19, TS-Limestone (Coplen et al., 2006; Friedman et al., 1982).
Reproducibility was checked by replicate analysis of laboratory

Table 1
Data of samples taken from Heliocaminus Baths. Note a: the Corinthian capital today is in the Heliocaminus room, but it belongs to one of the columns of the tri-porch near the
Frigidarium room and Natatio (see Fig. 2). Note b: these items, found during the excavation made in the baths in the 80's, were staked in the Apodyterium room. Abbreviations:
n.d. ¼ not determined.

Sample Decorative element type Slab Matrix colour Baths room Room number Sampling point
thickness (mm) (map of Fig. 2)

ADTH 57 Horizontal marble slab coating 23.5 White Heliocaminus 16 2nd rung of circular
staircase
ADTH 58 Vertical marble slab coating 31 White 1th rung of circular
staircase
ADTH 59 Horizontal marble slab coating 24 White Floor
ADTH 60 Vertical marble slab coating 14.2 White with ocher and brownish veins Wall
a
ADTH 61 Corinthian capital e White Heliocaminus 16 (originally 4a) Phytomorphic
decorum of the 2nd crown
b
ADTH 70 Marble slab coating n.d. White Apodyterium 5 Fragment
ADTH 71 Marble slab coating 21 White
ADTH 72 Marble slab coating 33 White/whitish with nuanced grey veins
ADTH 73 Marble slab coating n.d. White (with the grey-black outer edge)
ADTH 74 Marble slab coating 23 White-greyish with fine grey veins
ADTH 75 Marble slab coating 22 Grey stripped
ADTH 76 Marble slab coating with 34 White with greyish veins
frame worked
ADTH 77 Marble slab coating 26 Light grey
ADTH 78 Marble slab coating 15 Light grey to grey
ADTH 79 Marble slab coating 9 White, with purplish veins
336 S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342

Fig. 4. Some of the samples analysed still in situ in the Heliocaminus Baths (ADTH 57, 58, 59, 60). Note a: the arrow indicates the north. Note b: the total length of the bar is 20 cm.

standards. Oxygen isotope values of dolomite and siderite were
corrected using the phosphoric acid fractionation factors given by
Kim et al. (2007) and Rosenbaum and Sheppard (1986). The results
of mineralogical-petrographic and isotopic analyses were
compared with the most up-to-date databases for both the white
and streaked, veined or banded grey-and-white Mediterranean
ancient marbles (Antonelli et al., 2009a,b, 2010; Attanasio et al.,
2006, 2009b, 2012; Cantisani et al., 2005; Capedri and
Venturelli, 2004; Ebert et al., 2010; Franzini et al., 2010;
Germann et al., 1988; Gorgoni et al., 2002; Herrmann et al.,
2012; Lazzarini and Antonelli, 2003; Matthews et al., 1992;
Moens et al., 1988; Molli et al., 2000; Yavuz et al., 2011). The
main petrographic characteristics were also compared with those
showed by reference samples taken from several dozen ancient
quarries in the Mediterranean area (L.A.M.A.’s collection at Uni-
versity IUAV of Venice).
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry on 6 g of pressed powder
pellets with boric acid as support was used to determine the
chemical composition of major components (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3,
Fe2O3, MnO, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O, P2O5) and of some trace ele-
ments (Sr, Zr, Ni, Ba). Chemical analyses (listed in Table 3) were
obtained by PANanalytical Magi X-Pro (PW2440) X-ray fluores-
cence spectrometer (XRF). Within the range of the measured con-
centrations, the analytical accuracy determined on 54 standard
materials ranges from 19% (Na2O) to <1% (CaO), with a mean value
of 10% for the other major elements; with regard to reported trace
elements the mean value of the accuracy is 7 ppm, ranging from
9 ppm for Zr to 4 ppm for Sr.
graphic features (i.e., lineated or brecciated fabric, strained calcite
thetical isotopic uncertainty is easily resolved by means of petro-
2009b). In the case of samples ADTH 60 and ADTH 79 this hypo-
(Carrara) and Go
mainly into the overlapping fields of Docimium (Iscehisar), Lunense
Fig. 7a, fine-grained marbles have an isotopic composition falling
medium-coarse marbles (MGS > 2 mm; Fig. 7b). As shown in
grain size, MGS < 2 mm; Fig. 7a) and a second one with reference to
displays data with regard to fine grained marbles (with maximum
(2003), Attanasio et al. (2009b) and Franzini et al. (2010): one
(2002), with supplementary data from Lazzarini and Antonelli
distinct diagrams (Fig. 7a and b) based on those of Gorgoni et al.

sampled artefacts (last column of Table 2).

were useful in determining the probable provenance for all the
(Fig. 6) combined by both accessory minerals and CeO isotopic data
data. With regard to pure white marbles, the petrographic features
summary of the chemical, mineralogical and petrographic collected

4. Results and discussion

(Spain).
Science and Applied Mathematics in the University of Girona
software (version 2.01.14), developed at Department of Computer
chemical element were calculated by means of CoDaPack free
centered log ratio (clr) transformations; clr coefficients for each
model of the Compositional Data Analysis, in order to calculate

of the tri-porch near to the Frigidarium room and Natatio (see Fig. 2).
Fig. 5. Corinthian capital (sample ADTH 61) originally belonging to one of the columns
Concerning isotopic signature, data were plotted into two

Table 2 shows a list of the examined marble artefacts and a

XRF data were processed according to the Aitchison (1986)

€ ktepe quarries (districts 3 and 4; Attanasio et al.,

S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342

Table 2
Mineralogical and petrographic features of the archaeological marbles by polarized light microscopy characterization and XRD analysis. Cal: calcite; Dol: dolomite; Qtz: quartz; Ms: muscovite; Gr: grafite; Pl: plagioclase; Chl:
MgeFe chlorite; Ap: apatite; Op: opaque minerals; Fe-Ox: Iron oxides and hydroxides; Fe-su: Iron sulphide. MGS: maximum grain size. GBS: grain boundary shape; E: embayed; Su: sutured, C: curved; S: straight. Fabric: He:
heteroblastic; Ho: homeoblastic; M: mosaic; L: lineated; P: polygonal; Tp: triple points; SC: strained crystals; wL: weakly lineated. Sub: subordinate; FgSg: with fine grained subgrains; FgCp: fine grained with coarser patches;
(xxx) very abundant; (xx) abundant; (x) present; (tr): traces. In the ADTH 79 a little area of the sample shows a partially brecciated texture in transition to the general features of the pure white marble areas. It shows the typical
purple/wine-red cement with hematite.

Sample Mineralogical assemblage Microstructure Isotopic signature Provenance

Carbonate phases Accessory minerals MGS (mm) GBS Fabric d18O d13C
Cal Dol Qtz Ms Gr Pl Chl Ap Op (PDB)

ADTH 57 Only x (x) (x) x: Fe-ox, Fe-su 0.8 C, S He/Ho M, rare Tp, wL 2.08 2.31 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 58 Only (x) (x) (x) 0.75 C±S±E He M, rare Tp, wL 2.17 2.38 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 59 Only (x) (x) (x) (x): Fe-ox 0.7 C±S Ho/He M, rare Tp 2.16 2.2 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 60 Only (x) x x: Fe-ox, Fe-su, Ti-ox 0.7 E, C Ho/He, SC M, wL 2.88 2.8 Iscehisar (Afyon, Turkey)
ADTH 61 Only xxx xxx x (x) (x) 0.9 E, C He M, wL 5.04 2.77 Mt. Penteli (Athens, Greece)
(trains)
ADTH 70 Only (x) (x) xx x: Fe-ox, Fe-su 0.75 S, C Ho/He M 1.59 2.18 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 71 Only (x) (x) x (x) (x) (x): Fe-ox 0.8 S, C Ho M 1.83 2.23 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 72 Only x x (x) (x) (x): Fe-ox, Fe-su 0.8 C±S Ho M, rare Tp, wL 2.12 2.34 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 73 Sub main (x) 2.1 C ± Su He M 4.25 3.1 Thasos (Vathy, Greece)
ADTH 74 Only (x) x xx (x) (x): Fe-su 0.7 E±C He/Ho L 3.15 2.47 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 76 Only xxx (x): Fe-su 0.25 S Ho/He M, Tp 1.88 2.1 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 77 Only (x) xx (x) x 1.35 C±S He M, rare Tp 1.17 2 Carrara (Italy)
ADTH 79 Only xx xxx (x) xxx: Fe-ox 0.5 E±C strained fabric passing to brecciated 3.46 2.62 Iscehisar (Afyon, Turkey)
ADTH 75 Main main xxx x/xx xx (x) xx: Fe-ox 2.35 C±E He M, FgSg 3.4 2.25 Hasançavuşlar?
(Ephesos, Turkey)
ADTH 78 Only x xxx (x) (x): Fe-ox 1.9 S, E He, SC M, FgCp 11.12 2.47 Unknown

337
338 S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342

Table 3
XRF chemical analyses of major and trace elements performed on marbles coming from Heliocaminus Baths. Abbreviations: d.l. ¼ detection limit.

Sample SiO2 TiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 MnO MgO CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 L.O.I. Sum Sr Zn Ni Ba

wt % ppm

ADTH 57 0.13 <d.l. 0.05 0.01 <d.l. 0.63 54.67 0.06 0.02 <d.l. 43.07 98.64 156 <d.l. 2 39
ADTH 58 0.01 <d.l. 0.04 0.01 <d.l. 0.55 55.25 0.06 0.01 <d.l. 43.14 99.07 119 <d.l. 2 46
ADTH 59 0.08 <d.l. 0.02 <d.l. <d.l. 0.55 54.37 0.05 0.01 <d.l. 43.09 98.17 126 1 2 42
ADTH 60 0.71 0.02 0.43 0.14 0.03 0.49 53.63 0.08 0.10 0.02 43.03 98.68 100 3 5 46
ADTH 61 0.92 0.01 0.29 0.11 0.03 0.65 53.84 0.04 0.09 0.01 43.01 99.00 150 7 3 52
ADTH 70 0.20 <d.l. 0.07 0.02 <d.l. 0.60 54.60 0.04 0.04 <d.l. 43.16 98.73 108 2 2 39
ADTH 71 0.25 0.01 0.09 0.02 <d.l. 0.62 54.67 0.04 0.05 <d.l. 43.22 98.97 105 <d.l. 2 39
ADTH 72 0.08 <d.l. 0.03 <d.l. <d.l. 0.67 54.73 0.04 0.01 <d.l. 43.05 98.61 136 7 3 42
ADTH 73 0.01 <d.l. 0.01 0.04 0.01 18.29 35.20 <d.l. <d.l. <d.l. 46.38 99.94 120 1 1 <d.l.
ADTH 74 0.06 <d.l. 0.03 0.01 <d.l. 0.94 53.06 0.04 0.01 <d.l. 43.45 97.60 220 <d.l. 2 45
ADTH 75 1.04 0.02 0.03 0.31 0.07 5.69 48.42 0.05 0.11 0.03 43.75 99.52 76 24 20 63
ADTH 76 0.10 <d.l. 0.03 0.01 <d.l. 0.52 55.26 0.04 0.02 <d.l. 43.23 99.21 142 <d.l. 2 34
ADTH 77 0.14 <d.l. 0.05 0.01 <d.l. 0.57 54.49 0.05 0.02 <d.l. 43.00 98.33 187 1 2 41
ADTH 78 0.49 0.01 0.07 0.07 0.04 0.06 53.93 0.03 0.02 0.02 42.78 97.52 6579 1 6 34
ADTH 79 1.21 0.03 0.65 0.21 0.04 0.55 52.52 0.07 0.12 0.07 42.65 98.12 98 4 8 62

crystals, GBS; Table 2 and Fig. 6c) clearly pointing to a Microasiatic
origin from Iscehisar (Afyon, Turkey) (Table 2). To solve the possible
isotopic ambiguity between the Carrara and Go €ktepe marbles is
more intricate because the quarries of the latter were discovered
recently (Attanasio et al., 2009b) and a very limited petrographic
database (eight samples) of this marble, actually not totally
adequate as for the description of its fabrics/textures and grain
boundary shapes, was published only during the reviewing of the
current research (Attanasio et al., (in press)). Nevertheless, in the
cases of the samples ADTH 57, 58, 70, 72, 76 and 77, on the basis
of their general petrographic characteristics (i.e., prevailing
homeoblastic fabrics made up of mosaics of crystals sometimes
forming triple points, MGS values and straight to curved GBS;
Table 2 and Fig. 6a) which are totally compatible with those known
for the marble Lunense, a source from Apuan quarries of Carrara
seems unequivocal. By contrast, the case of samples ADTH 59, 71
and 74, felt as from the Apuan Alps because of their general aspects,
MGS values and accessory minerals (plagioclase), is a little more
uncertain due to a less strict agreement of their microscopic fea-
tures with those of the classical Carrara marbles (Table 2) and an
origin from the Go €ktepe districts cannot be confidently excluded
using the standard provenance approach based on the combination
of mineralogical, petrographic and isotopic analyses. To avoid po-
tential misclassification of the samples, the strontium (Sr) contents

Fig. 6. a, b, c, d. Microphotographs of thin sections of some of the white marbles investigated; (a): homeoblastic mosaic texture made up of calcite crystals having prevailing straight
boundary shapes and somewhere forming triple points (Carrara marble, sample ADTH 72); (b) heteroblastic texture, slightly lineated and with some mica trains, made up of calcite
crystals with boundary shapes mainly embayed and curved (Pentelic marble, sample ADTH 61); (c) heteroblastic lineated texture with strained calcite crystals having embayed
boundary shapes (Docimian marble, sample ADTH 60); (d) heteroblastic mosaic texture with dolomite crystals having sutured to curved boundary shapes (Thasian marble, sample
ADTH 73). Crossed polarized light. The long side of the pictures is 2.55 mm.
 S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342 339

Fig. 7. a, b. Comparison of the isotopic signatures of the white marbles used for the artefacts here analysed (stars) with the data proposed by Gorgoni et al. (2002) with sup-
plementary data after Antonelli and Lazzarini, 2003, Attanasio et al., 2009b and Franzini et al., 2010. The global comparative diagram for the main Mediterranean marbles used in
antiquity is split into the graphs referring to fine-grained (a) and medium- to coarse-grained (b) marble varieties, respectively. Legend of abbreviations: C ¼ Carrara; Ca-1 ¼
Campiglia M.ma; D ¼ Dokimeion; Pa1 ¼ Paros, Stefani; Pe1-2 ¼ Mount Pentelikon. (b) Aph ¼ Aphrodisias; Gk ¼ Go € ktepe; N ¼ Naxos; Pa2 ¼ Paros, Lakkoi; Pa3 ¼ Paros, Karavos; Pr1-
2 ¼ Proconnesos; T1(2) ¼ Thasos Aliki; T3 ¼ Thasos, Cape Vathy; Ts ¼ Tinos.

of all the investigated items were evaluated (Table 3). In fact, as
referred by Attanasio et al. (2013a, in press) the very fine-grained
marbles quarried in the southern districts of Go € ktepe (core group
samples of the districts 3 and 4) exhibit an average Sr concentration
of 647 ppm throughout the ancient quarrying sites, which is at least
3 times higher than measured for any other fine-grained Mediter-
ranean marble used in antiquity (even if low-strontium marble may
exist within still undiscovered quarries; Attanasio et al., (in press)).
On the basis of this consideration combined with microscopic data,
and taking into account that as yet the Go €ktepe lithotype has been
identified only as sculptural marble, we can indicate the Carrara
provenance as very likely if not certain.
A further definitive non problematic determination of the
source area was possible for the sample ADTH 73, the only
medium-grained marble (Fig. 7b), whose isotopic signature and
petrographic characteristics (heteroblastic texture made of dolo-
mite crystals with embayed ± sutured grain boundary shapes;
Fig. 6d) are in total agreement only with those recognized for the
dolomitic Thasian marbles from the Vathy or Saliara districts
(Greece). Finally, it was possible to identify nine of these samples as
Lunense, two as Docimium and one each as Pentelic and Thasian
marbles (Table 2; Figs. 6 and 8). No Go €ktepe marble has been found.
On the contrary, the study of the grey stripped (ADTH 75) and
light grey-to-grey (ADTH 78) marbles did not provide definitive
results. In particular, sample ADTH 75 shares macroscopic pattern,
MGS and isotopic composition with a greco scritto-like marble
quarried at Hasançavuşlar (Attanasio et al., 2012; Herrmann et al.,
2012), near Ephesos (Turkey). Nevertheless, to date, also the
detailed petrographic characterization of this source remains still
unpublished, limiting strongly the comparative studies; for this
reason a different provenance cannot be totally excluded.
As to sample ADTH 78 an unconformity of petrographic and
isotopic data has been observed and its origin is still unidentified. In
fact, on the one hand, it shows an isotopic signature (Table 2 and
Fig. 8) comparable with that defined for the veined grey marbles
from the Cap de Garde quarry, near Annaba (Algeria; Antonelli
et al., 2009b); and the other hand it clearly does not fit the petro-
graphic features of this Algerian lithotype (e.g., smaller MGS as well
as different overall grain-size, microstructure and accessory min-
erals) neither of other classical Mediterranean marbles exhibiting
also greyish facies (e.g., Proconnesian, Thasian from Aliki, Bardiglio
from Carrara, Filfila marble from Algeria, etc.).
According with the groupings previously discussed, biplot
chemical diagrams based on XRF analysis of major and trace
340 S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342
Fig. 8. The isotopic signatures of the light grey and grey stripped archaeological marbles (stars) compared with the topical database for the Cap de Garde, Filfila and Hasançavuşlar
marbles. The Cap de Garde and Filfila fields are drawn by merging the isotopic data reported in Antonelli et al., 2009b; Attanasio et al., 2012, and Antonelli et al., 2010; Herrmann
et al., 2012, respectively. The Hasançavuşlar field (dotted line) is as reported in Attanasio et al., 2012 (without plotted data inside).
elements were obtained (Fig. 9). The compositional differences,
highlighted by mineralogical-petrographic and isotopic data, are
also supported by the chemical dissimilarities; indeed, samples
ATDH 73 and ADTH 75, which are made of dolomitic and partially
dolomitic marbles, respectively, show very high and high contents
of MgO in a consistent way. As a matter of fact the clr(CaO) vs
clr(MgO) and clr(Ba) vs clr(Sr) diagrams of Fig. 9a and b , respec-
tively, allow to discriminate quite clearly between the different
marbles and to separate the Carrara group from the Iscehisar,
Penteli, Thasos and possible Hasançavuşlar marbles. Moreover,
even if the provenance of the marble of the item ADTH 78 remains
uncertain, it is possible to attest that its chemical features differ
clearly from those of the other samples (in particular because of its
very high content of Sr).
5. Conclusions
The Heliocaminus Baths of Hadrian's Villa, being a building
reserved for the emperor and his court, at least in its original
planning, was certainly luxuriously decorated. Previous Authors
(Salvatori et al., 1988), using only “visual identification”, pointed
the large use in the baths of white and coloured marbles in the wall
and floor coverings (pavonazzetto, cipollino, portasanta, greco
scritto), with modifications and additions in late antiquity
(Guidobaldi, 1994). The need to perform archaeometric analyzes to
identify their origins, especially in the case of white marbles e as
we made in this study e has already been expressed in previous
studies (Salvatori et al., 1988).
Except for a sample (ADTH 78) characterized by colour from
light grey to grey and for which the provenance still remains un-
identified, the study made it possible to detect the origin of the
marble of all the analysed samples.
The white marbles used in the Heliocaminus Baths come mainly
from Carrara quarries (Italy), as shown by the analysis of most of
the samples from the steps of the heated swimming pool. The
results also confirmed that the sample from the wall of Helio-
caminus room (outside the swimming pool) comes from the
quarries of Iscehisar (Afyon, Turkey) where the famous marmor
Phrygium was extracted. Its use in the Hadrian's Villa is known,
being one of the most widely used marbles in the wall socles
(Salvatori et al., 1988).
The use of Greek marbles is represented here by two cases. The
first, a fragment found in the Apodyterium room near the Sudatio,
is the Thasian (Thasos, Vathy), a marble already thought to be
present in the floor covers of the Villa (i.e., in the 'Small Baths';
Guidobaldi, 1994), but only through macroscopic observations, and
never by means of analysis. The second case is the capital now
exhibited in the Heliocaminus room, but originally placed on a
column of the tri-porch near the Frigidarium room and Natatio.
This is a special type of capital called “Greek goblet-shaped capital”
(Bo€ rker, 1965) representing a typical product of Greek workshops
which is well known in eastern Greece; it is made of Pentelic
marble (Mt. Penteli, Athens), confirming the abundant use of this
Attic lithotype only for sculptures and architectonical decorations.
Pentelic marble, in fact, was worked to produce the Caryatids and
Sileni of Canopus (Pensabene et al., 2012) and, on the other hand, its
presence in sectilia pavimenta has not been attested by previous
studies (Salvatori et al., 1988).
As regards sample ADTH 75, made up of a grey stripped marble,
it is probably to be referred to the Hasançavuşlar quarries (Ephesos,
Turkey): the greco scritto, although not widespread inside the Villa,
was used in the socle of the octagonal Sudatio (Guidobaldi, 1994).
Acknowledgements
This work was made possible by the Soprintendenza per i Beni
Archeologici del Lazio, which has granted the structures surveys and
sampling of marbles used in the Heliocaminus Baths.
The work was partially carried out with the equipment acquired
within “IUAV_Lab”, a project of the IUAV University of Venice
 S. Columbu et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 332e342
Fig. 9. a, b. Biplot diagrams of XRF data transformed in clr (centred log ratio) by
Aitchinson model (1986); the legend of the symbols has been built on the basis of the
provenance determined by mineralogical, petrographic and isotopic data. a) clr(CaO) vs
clr(MgO) diagram; b) clr(Ba) vs clr(Sr) diagram.
realised with the contribution of the “European Regional Devel-
opment Fund” (ERDF), Veneto Region, the Regional Operational
Programme e Objective Regional competitiveness & employment
2007e2013.
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