Roman Buildings as Archives

The ConstruEnS project explores Roman architectural structures as unique historical archives of past practices, decision-making processes, and interactions between humans and the environment. By developing innovative tools and models, the project aims to usher in a paradigm shift in the humanities. Architecture is established as a central source for understanding material, social, and environmental history.

The preserved remains of Roman structures along the Rhine and the Upper Danube provide ideal case studies: With the rivers serving as central arteries of transportation and mobility, the newly founded Roman cities and their hinterlands grew rapidly from the early 1st through the 4th century. Construction in these cities brought with it new techniques, materials, supply networks, and expertise. The project focuses on Xanten, Cologne, Mainz, Regensburg, and Carnuntum.

Vilma Ruppienė’s contribution to the project is to investigate the origin, extraction, and supply of stone materials for construction projects in cities along the Rhine and the upper Danube. This includes both building materials and architectural components as well as decorative natural stones used in building finishes, such as wall and floor cladding in thermal baths.

Archaeometric analysis methods are used to determine the types of stone used and - when possible - to identify their exact origin. Reference samples from various quarries serve as an important basis for this, as they enable comparison with archaeological samples and thus allow them to be attributed to specific mining areas or even individual quarries.

Knowledge of the stone resources used makes it possible to reconstruct the associated logistical and economic processes. These include, in particular, the organization of stone quarrying, trade and supply networks, and transportation routes by land, river, and sea, all the way to their use on construction sites. On this basis, conclusions can also be drawn about cost calculations and the economic conditions surrounding large-scale construction projects.