revised
February 8, 2003
DECORATIVE STONES IN THE PRE-OTTOMAN
ISLAMIC BUILDINGS OF CAIRO, EGYPT
Part I:
DESCRIPTION OF STONE VARIETIES
by
Prof. James A. Harrell, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Sciences (Mail Stop #604)
The University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio 43606-3390, USA
Tele: 419-530-2193
Fax: 419-530-4421
E-mail: james.harrell@utoledo.edu
with the assistance of
Prof. Lorenzo Lazzarini, Ph.D.
Istituto Universitario di Architettura di
Venezia
Dipartimento di Storia dell'Architettura
Laboratorio di Analisi dei Materiali
Antichi
Palazzo Badoer, San Polo, n. 2554
30125 Venezia, Italia
E-mail: lorenzo@brezza.iuav.unive.it
and
Mr. Matthias Bruno
Via D'Ascanio, n. 1A
00186 Roma, Italia
E-mail: matthias@libero.it
NOTE
1: Megascopic descriptions are provided for
each stone variety based on examples seen in Cairo mosques. After each
description, the Roman name (if known) and traditional Italian name for the
stone are given. Only the most common Italian names are given but the reader
should be aware that some stones are known by multiple names as will be evident
in such references as DW92, G88, MSG89, M85, PB98 and R01. Alphanumeric codes
(e.g., "R01" for Ricci 2001)
are used for references cited in each description and the following
abbreviations are used within the associated parentheses: p = pages, f =
figure, t = table and pl = plate.
NOTE 2: After each description, "Buildings" lists those Cairo
buildings where the stone can be found (these are identified by their official
antiquities number), and "Uses"
indicates how much of and for what purpose the stone was used in Cairo. The
relative amounts indicated apply only to the visited buildings known to have
decorative stones inside, excluding the omni-present marble columns flanking
mihrabs. The amounts are defined as follows: abundant = found in a majority of
the buildings, usually as numerous pieces; common = found in a large minority
of the buildings with anywhere from a few to numerous pieces in each; scarce =
found in a small minority of the buildings, usually not more than a few pieces
in each; and rare = found in only a few buildings at most, usually as one to a
few pieces in each.
NOTE 3: For topographical and petrological
surveys of ancient Egyptian quarries and quarry stones see Aston et al. (2000)
and Klemm and Klemm (1993). See JAH's World Wide Web site for color photos of
ancient Egyptian quarry stones
(http://www.eeescience.utoledo.edu/egypt/), and see BH91 (Brown and
Harrell 1991) for petrological terminology used in the stone descriptions.
EGYPTIAN
STONES
From the Eastern Desert
E1 MP imperial porphyry: Stone —
andesite-dacite porphyry with purplish-red, or rarely reddish black, aphanitic
groundmass and pale pink to white phenocrysts (up to 5 mm). Source — Mons
Porphyrites (northeast flank of Gebel Dokhan). Quarried — Late Predynastic and
Early Dynastic periods, and again possibly during Ptolemaic period (c. unknown)
and from 1st through 4th c. AD of the Roman period. Roman
name — lapis porphyrites (= purple
stone); and Italian names — porfido rosso
Egiziano or antico (= Egyptian or ancient red porphyry). References and Photos
— M85 (p 64-65; 698, 702 in pl 21), G88 (p 122-123; f 90-91), MSG89 (p 274; f
116a), AN89 (p 35-46; 2 on p 112), DW92 (a in pl 1), DK92 (p 119-121; 23 in pl
54f), KK93 (p 379-395; pl 14.1-15.1), BH95 (t 1-2), PB98 (p 9-10; pl 53-56),
AHS00 (p 48-49) and R01 (pl 18: C1-C7).
Buildings:
24, 32, 35, 43, 49, 66, 97, 99, 114, 117, 119, 121, 123, 125, 133, 134, 138,
147, 149, 152, 175, 187, 189, 190, 203, 218, 220, 248, 255, 269, 281, 349; SAB, SCB, SHP.
Uses:
abundant wall and floor veneer (including rotae), and rare columns and door
lintels.
E2 MP greenish black porphyry: Stone —
andesite-dacite porphyry with greenish-black aphanitic groundmass and white to
mainly pale green phenocrysts (up to 5 mm). Source — Mons Porphyrites
(northeast flank of Gebel Dokhan). Quarried — 1st through 4th
c. AD. Roman name — lapis hieracitis
(= hawk stone); and Italian name — porfido
verde Egiziano or antico (= Egyptian or ancient green porphyry).
References and Photos — M85 (p 65; 714 in pl 21), G88 (p 133-135; f 93), MSG89
(p 278; f 120a), KK93 (p 379-395; pl 15.3), BH95 (t 1-2), PB98 (p 10; pl 58),
AHS00 (p 48-49) and R01 (pl 18: C9).
Buildings:
49, 60, 66, 97, 99, 114, 117, 119, 121, 123, 125, 133, 134, 138, 147, 149, 151,
175, 187, 189, 190, 218, 255; SAB, SCB.
Uses:
abundant wall and floor veneer (including rotae).
E3 MP black porphyry: Stone —
andesite-dacite porphyry with black aphanitic groundmass and pale green or pink
to mainly white phenocrysts (up to 5 mm). This is really just a gradational,
subvariety of E2. Source — Mons Porphyrites (northeast flank of Gebel Dokhan).
Quarried — 1st through 4th c. AD. Roman name — lapis porphyrites niger (= black
porphyrites stone); and Italian name — porfido
nero Egiziano or antico (= Egyptian or ancient black porphyry).
References and Photos — M85 (p 65; 719 in pl 21), G88 (p 138; f 92), MSG89 (p
272; f 114a), BH95 (t1-2), PB98 (p 10; pl 57), AHS00 (p 48-49) and R01 (pl 18:
C8).
Buildings:
66, 99, 133, 138, 149, 152, 187, 190.
Uses:
rare wall and floor veneer.
E4 WB quartz diorite: Stone — medium- to
coarse-grained quartz diorite, mottled light gray and greenish black,
occasionally with what appear to be straight, white veins but which are
actually bleached zones along fractures. Source — Wadi Barud. The Wadi Barud
quarry has long been known for another variety of quartz diorite which is the
Italian "granito bianco e nero"
(= white and black granite) which is not used in the Islamic buildings
of Cairo (photos — M85 [p 69; 798 in pl 23], G88 [p 150; f 106], MSG89 [p 217;
f 67a], BH95 (t 1-2), PB98 [p 11; pl 63]), HL02 and R01 (pl 19: B3-B4).
The two varieties of Wadi Barud
stone differ only in their textures: in comparison with granito bianco e nero, the quartz diorite found in the Islamic
buildings is slightly finer grained and exhibits a much greater degree of
intergrowth between the light and dark minerals (HL02). This new variety has
not been previously reported in the literature, and its source was discovered
by JAH only in 1997 (the quarry workings are very close to those for granito bianco e nero). It is proposed
that the two varieties of Wadi Barud quartz diorite hereafter be referred to as
granito bianco e nero del Cairo (the
variety known mainly from Cairo's Islamic buildings) and granito bianco e nero di Santa Prassede (the
better known variety, good examples of which are found in Rome's Church of
Santa Prassede). In this document WB quartz diorite refers only to the del Cairo variety of granito bianco e nero. The so-called granito
scuro e tigrato may be another Italian name for this variety. Roman name —
probably marmor Tiberianum (=
Tiberius' marble). Quarried — 1st and 2nd c. AD.
Buildings:
66, 123, 133, 175, 190, 203; SCB.
Uses:
scarce wall veneer.
E5 WUS diorite: Stone — coarse- to mainly
very coarse-grained pegmatitic diorite with large, pointed greenish black
crystals (up to 6 cm but mostly 1-4 cm) in a light gray to pale pink
groundmass. Source — Wadi Umm Shegilat. Quarried — late Predynastic and Early
Dynastic periods, and again in 1st and 2nd c. AD of the Roman
period. Roman name — unknown; and Italian name — granito della colonna (= granite of the column). References and
Photos — M85 (p 69; 802 in pl 23), G88 (p 150-152; f 108), MSG89 (p 220; f 70a),
AN89 (10 on p 113), GLM92 (t 1-5); BH95 (t 1-2), PB98 (p 11; pl 61-62), AHS00
(p 30-31), HB02 and R01 (pl 1: A4 & pl 19: B7-B9).
Buildings:
18, 35, 43, 49, 66, 99, 123, 125, 133, 134, 152, 175, 189, 190, 203, 218, 255,
549; SAB, SCB.
Uses:
common wall veneer (including rotae).
E6 MC gneiss: Stone — medium-grained
tonalite gneiss, speckled light gray and greenish black. Source — Mons
Claudianus (near Wadi Fatiri el-Bayda). Quarried — 1st through 3rd
c. AD. Roman name — marmor Claudianum
(= Claudius' marble); and Italian name — granito
del foro (= granite of the forum). References and Photos — M85 (p 69; 796
in pl 23), G88 (p 148-150; f 112), MSG89 (p 222-223; f72a), AN89 (16 on p 113),
DW92 (c in pl 1), GLM92 (t 1-5), KK93 (p 395-408; pl 16.1-16.2), BH95 (t 1-2),
PB98 (p 10-11; pl 60), HBL99, AHS00 (p 34) and R01 (pl 19: C9).
Buildings:
121, 133, 190, 204, 218; SAB.
Uses:
rare floor and (mainly) wall veneer.
E7 WUE serpentinite: Stone — medium- to
coarse-grained serpentinite, mottled light yellowish-green and dark green.
Source — Wadi Umm Esh (near Wadi Atalla). Quarried — Roman period, c. unknown,
and again extensively in the 20th century. Roman name — unknown but
possibly lapis batrachites (= frog stone);
and Italian names — serpentina moschinata
(= veined/spotted [like moss] serpent) and verde
ranocchia (= green frog). References and Photos — M85 (p 63; 668, 671 in pl
20), G88 (p 235-237; f 115), MSG89 (p 291; f 129a), DK92 (p 136-139; 30 in pl
54h), KK93 (p 376-378; pl 13.1-13.2), BH95 (t 1-2), PB98 (p 12; pl 67-68),
AHS00 (p 57-58) and R01 (pl 5: B1).
Buildings:
13, 38, 120,133, 162?, 218.
Uses:
rare wall veneer.
E8 WH graywacke: Stone — (meta) graywacke
sandstone to mainly siltstone, dark gray or greenish-gray to mainly grayish
green; slightly metamorphosed. Source — Wadi Hammamat (Roman Mons Basanites).
Quarried — late Predynastic period through the Roman period until 3rd
c. AD. Roman name — lapis basanites
(= touchstone); and Italian names — pietra
bekhen (= bekhen stone, where bekhen is the ancient Egyptian name), basanite (from basanites), and basalto verde
(from the mistaken belief that the rock is basalt). References and Photos — M85
(p 64; 692 in pl 21), G88 (p 111-117), MSG89 (p 266; f 110a), AN89 (p 56-63),
HB92a and HB92b, KK93 (p 355-376; pl 12.1, 12.3), BH95 (t 1-2) and AHSf.
Buildings:
112, 120, 121, 123, 125, 130, 133, 134, 138, 203, 218,248, 269?, SCB.
Uses:
common wall and floor veneer, especially as trim (narrow strips) around larger
stone panels.
E9 WH conglomerate: Stone — (meta)
conglomerate with multicolored, well rounded pebbles and cobbles in a green,
sandy groundmass; slightly metamorphosed. Source — Wadi Hammamat (Roman Mons
Basanites). Quarried — 20th, 25th and 30th
Dynasties, the Roman period until 3rd c. AD, and again, to a limited
extent, in the 1970's. Roman name — lapis hexacontalithos (= stone of
sixty stones); Byzantine name = lapis
hecatontalithos (= stone of a hundred stones); and Italian names — breccia verde d'Egitto or antica (=
Egyptian or ancient green breccia) and centopietre (= one hundred
stones). References and Photos — M85 (p 64; 694 in pl 21), G88 (p 117-121; f
120), MSG89 (p 195; f 48a), AN89 (12 on p 113), DK92 (p 59-60; 4 in pl 54a),
KK93 (p 355-376; pl 12.5-12.6), HB92a and HB92b, BH95 (t 1-2), PB98 (p 12; pl
69-70), AHS00 (p 57-58), R01 (pl 15: C1-C3) and HBLf.
Buildings:
32, 38, 44, 45, 121, 133, 138, 175, 190.
Uses: scarce wall veneer and columns.
Probably
From the Eastern Desert
E10 Porfido
nero grafico: appears to be a rock similar to both the black porphyry from
Mons Porphyrites (E3) and Wadi Umm Towat, where the latter is another Roman
quarry in the Eastern Desert near Gebel Dokhan, the rock from which is not
found in Cairo. Like the stone from Wadi Umm Towat, it has common large white
quartz inclusions. Source — no quarry is known but it is probably in the Mons
Porphyrites/Gebel Dokhan area. Quarried — Roman period, c. unknown. Italian
name — translates as "graphic black porphyry." References and Photos
— G88 (p 139; f 95), MSG89 (p 273; f 115a) and R01 (pl 18: B9).
Buildings:
175, 190.
Uses:
rare wall veneer.
From
Elsewhere in Egypt
E11 Aswan granite: Stone — coarse- to very
coarse-grained granite, usually pinkish or reddish overall but occasionally
darker with pink and black mottling. Source — East Bank of the Nile River at
Aswan. Quarried — Early Dynastic through Roman periods, and again extensively
in the 19th and 20th centuries. Ptolemaic name — lithos pyrrhopoecilos (= red-spotted
stone); Roman names — lapis syenites
(= stone of Syene, the Greek name for Aswan) and lapis or marmor Thebaicus
(= stone or marble of Thebes); and Italian name — granito rosso or Sienite
(= red granite or granite of Syene). References and Photos — M85 (p 67; 749 in
pl 22), G88 (p 145-147; f 111), MSG89 (p 225-226; f 74a), AN89 (17 on p 113),
DW92 (p 158-159; d in pl 1), DK92 (p 81-86; 10-11 in pl 54c), GLM92 (t 1-5),
KK93 (p 305-339; pl 10.1-10.6), BH98, PB98 (p 12-13; pl 71), AHS00 (p 36-37)
and R01 (pl 17: A5, C1-C3, C7).
Buildings:
1, 13, 27, 35?, 43, 44, 45, 99, 112, 120, 123, 129, 130, 143, 149, 152, 175,
187, 184, 190, 204, 215, 248, 252, 255, 257, 349, 549; MNM, SAB, SHP.
Uses:
common columns, and door lintels and sills (and rarely jambs).
E12 Aswan granodiorite: Stone — coarse- to
mainly medium-grained granodiorite, dark gray overall with occasionally large
light gray or pale pink crystals (this is the so-called but incorrectly named
"black granite" of Egypt). Source - same as Aswan granite. Quarried —
same as Aswan granite, but in much smaller quantities. Italian name — granito nero or bigio (= black or
gray granite). The Ptolemaic and Roman names for the Aswan granite were also
sometimes applied anciently to the granodiorite. However, the Romans may have
called this stone lapis aethiopicus
(= Ethiopian stone). References and Photos — G88 (p 147-148), MSG89 (p 242; f
73a), DK92 (p 70-76; 9 in pl 54c, and 13 in pl 54d), GLM92 (t 1-5), KK93 (p
339-353; pl 11.1-11.4), BH98, AHS00 (p 36-37) and R01 (pl 17: A5-A7).
Buildings:
18, 24, 33, 43, 66, 119, 120, 121, 123, 131, 133, 138, 143, 149, 151, 152, 175,
182, 184, 189, 190, 204, 211, 215, 255, 344; MNM, SAB, SHP.
Uses:
common columns, wall and floor veneer, and door lintels and sills.
E13 Banded travertine: Stone — dense
(nonporous) travertine with alternating bands of white and light brown calcite.
This is the so-called "Egyptian alabaster" of archaeologists and art
historians, and the "calcitic or calcareous alabaster" of some
geologists. Source — there are several quarries in Middle Egypt on the East
Bank of the Nile between Wadi Assiut in the south and Wadi Araba in the north.
Quarried — late Predynastic period through the Roman period until 3rd
or 4th c. AD, and again extensively in the 19th and 20th
centuries. Roman names — lapis
alabastrites (= stone of Alabastrum) and lapis onyx (= onyx stone); and Italian names — alabastro egiziano or onice (= Egyptian or onyx alabaster) and
alabastro cotognino (= alabaster like
quince, a type of yellow apple). References and Photos — M85 (p 37; 1, 5 and 17
in pl 1), G88 (p 215-218; f 224), MSG89 (p 140-141; f 4a-4b), AN89 (p 52-53; 10
on p 112), H90, DK92 (p 43-46; 1-2 in pl 54a), KK93 (p 199-223; pl 6.3-6.6),
PB98 (p 9; pl 49-52), AHS00 (p 59-60) and R01 (pl 10: C1-C4 & pl 11:
B2-B7).
Buildings:
133, 503; MNM.
Uses:
rare wall veneer.
E14 Sparry travertine: Stone — dense
(nonporous) travertine consisting of an intergrowth of large, pale amber or
white to colorless sparry calcite crystals with little or no banding. Source —
possibly Wadi Garawi near Helwan (H90), but there may be other Egyptian sources
not yet discovered. Quarried (in Egypt) — Old Kingdom and possibly later. Roman
and Italian names — none known.
Building:
133.
Uses:
rare wall and floor veneer.
E15 Basalt: Stone — aphanitic black basalt.
Source and Quarried — the only known quarry is in the northern Faiyum Desert
and dates from the Old Kingdom with minor Roman workings, but there are
outcrops near Cairo that may have been worked in Islamic times, such as at Abu
Zabal. This stone was widely used for pavements in Old Kingdom pyramid temples
and these are probably the source of much of the basalt used during the Islamic
period. References and Photos — DK92 (p 51-54), KK93 (p 413-422; pl 13.5), HB95
and AHS00 (p 23-24).
Buildings:
43?, 99, 133, 190, 203; SHP (this list is very incomplete). Basalt was widely
used on the exteriors of buildings but such applications were usually not noted
in the present study.
Uses:
scarce construction blocks for exterior walls, especially around entrances (as
in ablaq masonry). Most black blocks used in ablaq are either
black limestone, or light-colored marble or limestone painted black. Basalt was
also apparently used for road pavement at the medieval city gate of Bab Zuwayla
(# 199).
E16 Siliceous sandstone (a.k.a. 'quartzite'):
Stone - mainly brown but occasionally light gray or red, pebbly quartz-cemented
sandstone. Sources — Gebel Ahmar near Cairo, and Gebel Gulab near Aswan. The
stone found in Cairo probably comes from Gebel Ahmar. Quarried — Early Dynastic
through Roman periods at Gebel Ahmar, and New Kingdom through Roman periods at
Gebel Gulab. References and Photos — DK92 (p 95-99), KK93 (p 283-303; pls
8.1-9.6) and AHS00 (p 53-54).
Buildings:
32, 38, 44, 119, 221, 248.
Uses: scarce door sills, and rare columns.
E17 Mokattam limestone: Stone — pale yellow to
light gray limestone with scarce to abundant, large, discoidal nummulitid
fossils, and exceptionally with abundant oyster shells. Source — Gebel Mokattam
near the Citadel (and probably also the local ancient limestone monuments).
Quarried — Old Kingdom through Islamic periods at Zawyet Nasr (and possibly
other localities, such as Tura and Masara). References and Photos — DK92 (p
61-969; 7-8 in pl 54b), H92, KK93 (p 50-65; pl 1.2-1.6) and AHS00 (p 40-42).
A better quality limestone came
from further south on Gebel Mokattam near Tura and Masara. This is a little
harder with rare to absent megascopic fossils, and has a uniform fine-grained
texture and light gray color. This was the stone used for the exterior casing
on the Giza and Saqqara pyramids, most of which was stripped off and reused
during the Islamic period.
Buildings
and Uses: the ordinary variety was used in all buildings as the
principal masonry construction material. The Tura-Masara variety was probably
the stone used for the intricately carved domes, minarets and facades.
E18 Astracane
dorato d'Egitto: this
newly named stone superficially resembles the true astracane dorato from
Tunisia (see below) and the two are easily confused. Astracane dorato d'Egitto is like the normal Mokattam limestone, but
is recrystallized and typically yellowish with abundant large oysters and other
smaller fossils (Astirea facies). Its greater hardness, due to
recrystallization, allows it to take a good polish. Source — unknown, but
probably the Mokattam limestone between the latitudes of Cairo and Beni Suef.
This stone was probably not quarried prior to the Islamic period.
Astracane
dorato [or castracani]: mottled light and dark
yellow to occasionally orange or pink, limestone with pelecypod fragments that
vary from rare to abundant and nearly microscopic to megascopic. Source —
Henkhir el-Kasbat (ancient Thuburbo Maius), Tunisia. Quarried — Roman period,
c. unknown. Roman name — unknown; and Italian name — translates as "gilded
(gold-plated) astrakhan", where an astrakhan is a woolly lamb skin (it has
also been suggested that the stone is named after the Russian city of Astrakhan
on the Caspian Sea but this seems unlikely). References and Photos — M85 (p 41;
135 in pl 4), G88 (p 203-205; f 209), MSG89 (p 201; f 55a-55b), AN89 (14 on p
113), PB98 (p 13; pl 79) and R01 (pl 8: A2-A7).
Buildings:
18, 32, 49, 66, 97, 99, 114, 116?, 117, 119?, 121, 123, 130, 133, 134, 138,
149, 175?, 187, 182, 190, 203, 215, 218, 248, 281; SCB.
Uses:
abundant wall and floor veneer, and scarce columns.
E19 Broccatelli d'Egitto: limestone
breccia with white to light gray, angular, pebble- to cobble-size clasts of
micritic limestone and chert in a red matrix. It can be confused with the
similar-looking breccia corallina. It was used for small vessels and
animal figurines from the late Predynastic period through the Old Kingdom. Thereafter
(Middle Kingdom through Roman period) it was rarely used and then only for
small sculptures. There are no known ancient or medieval quarries, but the rock
is widely distributed between Esna in the south and El-Minya in the north. The
best-known outcrops are in Wadi Abu Gelbana, near Achmin, where there are
modern quarries. References and Photos — DK92 (p 57-58; 3 in pl 54a), and KK93
(p 189-191; pl 6.2).
Buildings:
43?, 66, 120, 121?, 133, 162.
Uses:
rare wall veneer (including rotae).
IMPORTED
STONES These are referred to by their traditional
Italian names. The descriptions and referenced photos apply only to the
varieties seen in Cairo.
I1 Africano:
(meta) tectonic marble breccia with white, yellow, red to mainly pink, rounded to
angular, cobble- to pebble-size marble clasts in a black (or occasionally
grayish, brown or dark green) matrix with white quartz-filled veins; slightly
metamorphosed. Source — Sigacik (ancient Teos), 45 km southeast of Izmir,
central Aegean coast of Turkey. Quarried — 1st c. BC to 2nd
c. AD. Roman name — marmor luculleum
(= Lucullus' marble, after the consul Lucius Lucullus who first introduced it
to Rome); and Italian name — from the black (African-like) matrix and/or from
its original (but incorrect) attribution to Africa. Africano rosso (red) and verde
(green) varieties are recognized. References and Photos — M85 (p 54-55;
418, 421 in pl 13), G88 (p 174-178; f 132, 133, 197), MSG89 (p 133-135; f 1b,
1d), AN89 (p 49-50; 13 on p 112), DW92 (p 157; g in pl 1), PB98 (p 8; pl 33-36)
and R01 (pl 15: A3-A9, B4-B8, C1-C9).
Buildings:
43, 123, 133.
Uses:
rare wall veneer.
I2 Bianco
e nero antico: tectonic limestone breccia with black or dark grey, angular,
pebble- to cobble-size clasts in a white matrix. Source — Aubert near St.
Girons (Lez Valley) in the central
Pyrenees Mountains, southern France. Quarried — 3rd c. AD through
Byzantine period. Roman name — marmor
celticum or aquitanicum (= marble
of the Celts or Aquitaine); French name — grand antique; and Italian name —
translates as "ancient white and black". References and Photos — M85
(p 57; 545 in pl 16), G88 (p 196-199; f 203), MSG89 (p 154-156; f 14a-14c),
AN89 (1 on p 112), DW92 (p 156; a in pl 2), PB98 (p 15; pl 89-90) and R01 (pl
1: C5-C6).
Buildings:
35, 38, 43, 67, 99, 121, 123, 125, 133, 187, 189, 190, 218; SAB.
Uses:
scarce wall veneer.
I3a Bigio
antico (a.k.a., Bigio di Asia Minore): marble with a mottling of dark gray
to black and light gray patches. It is similar to bigio lumachellato
(below) but with few or no fossils. Source — near Moria on the Island of
Lesbos, eastern Aegean Sea, Greece, but also in other parts of Greece,
including Macedonia, Attica, Crete and others. The different sources are
difficult to tell apart megascopically; however, all bigio antico
reported in this document apparently comes from Lesbos and is so indicated by
the addition of the Italian "di Lesbo". Quarried — 1st
through 3rd c. AD. Roman name — marmor Lesbium (Lesbos
variety only); and Italian name — translates as "ancient gray".
References and Photo — G88 (p 179-180; f 201), MSG89 (p 158-159; f 16a), LPT99
and R01 (pl 1: C4).
Buildings: 1, 15?, 31, 32, 43, 66,
97, 99, 121, 130?, 133, 138, 143, 175, 190, 204, 218, 220, 248, 319; SAB.
Uses: common wall and floor veneer,
and rare columns.
I3b Bigio
lumachellato (a
subvariety of the Lesbos bigio antico):
dark gray marble with light gray to white patches which vary from irregular to
loop-shaped cross-sections of rudist pelecypods (Megalodon sp.) and rare coral.
Source and Quarried — same as the bigio antico from Lesbos. Roman name —
marmor Lesbium; and Italian name —
translates as "gray lamellibranch" (or "gray
fossiliferous"), where lamellibranch is another name for mollusc pelecypods
but is generally used by Italian stonecutters to mean any conspicuous fossils.
References and Photos — M85 (p 59), G88 (p 179-180), MSG89 (p 158-159; f 16b),
AN89 (p 65-66), DW92 (p 158), LPT99 and R01 (pl 7: B8).
Buildings:
32, 33, 43, 99, 114, 117, 120, 123, 133, 134, 143, 147, 187, 203, 218?, 220,
248, 319, 344; SCB.
Uses:
common wall and floor veneer, and columns.
I4 Breccia
corallina: limestone breccia with white to yellowish, angular, pebble- to
boulder-size clasts of micritic limestone with sharp, well-defined outlines.
The matrix is red to organish and, less often, pinkish or brownish in color. It
tends to weather quickly and so often has a fractured, pitted appearance. It is
similar in appearance to the broccatelli d'Egitto and, to a lesser
extent, cipollino rosso brecciato. Source — near Vezirhan and probably
other sites in the province of Bilecik (in ancient Bithynia), northwestern
Turkey. Quarried — 1st c. BC into the Roman period, and again in
modern times. Roman name — marmor sagarium (= marble of Sagarius, a
reference to the Sakarya River which is near the quarry); and Italian name —
translates as "coral breccia", where corallina comes from the pink/red matrix which has the same color
as some corals. The stone tends to weather quickly (i.e., old slabs usually
have a fractured and pitted appearance). References and Photos — M85 (p 45-46;
pl 7), G88 (p 238-240; f 247, 251), MSG89 (p 166-167; f 22a, 22c), AN89 (15 on
p 112), DW92 (p 157-158; e in pl 1), PB98 (p 8-9; pl 41-44), L02 and R01 (pl:
A5-A7, B5-B7, C1-C8).
Buildings:
133.
Uses:
rare floor veneer.
I5 Breccia Medicea (a variety of Breccia
di Serravezza antica): marble breccia with light to dark gray, yellow and
green, angular, gravel-size marble clasts in a purplish matrix. Source — near
Monte Corchia, Serravezza, Stazzema and Versilia, province of Lucca, Apuane
Alps, northwestern Italy. Quarried — possibly Roman period (c. unknown) but
also during the Renaissance and later. Roman — unknown; Italian name translates
as "Medici breccia", apparently a reference to the Medici family.
Reference for breccia Medicea — LT99. References and Photos for breccia
di Serravezza antica — M85 (p 51,
381 in pl 12), G88 (p 240-241), MSG89 (p 194, f 47a) and PB98 (p 16; pl 95).
Buildings:
66, 120, 147.
Uses: rare wall veneer.
I6 Breccia
rossa appenninica: marble breccia with white, brown and pink,
gravel-size marble clasts in a dark brownish red to purplish matrix. Clasts are
rounded to mainly angular, and deformed (elongated and/or with serrated edges).
Source — near Pegazzino and
Biassa in the Apuan Alps, northwestern Italy. Quarried — Roman period (c.
unknown), and again from the 17th c. to the present. Roman name —
unknown; Italian name translates as "Appennine [Mtns.] red breccia".
References and Photos — M85 (p 53), MSG89 (p 189, f 42a), PB98 (p 15-16; pl
94), BL99a and R01 (pl 3: C7).
Buildings:
66, 130, 133, 138, 190, 233?.
Uses:
rare wall and floor veneer.
I7 Breccia
di Settebassi: marble breccia with white to yellowish and rarely red,
angular, pebble- to cobble-size clasts of fine-grained (< 1 mm) marble in a
reddish to purple matrix. The clasts tend to be tightly packed and show
parallel alignment. Source — Island of Skyros (various localities) and possibly
other neighboring islands, western Aegean Sea, Greece. Quarried — 1st
c. BC into the Roman period. Roman name — marmor
scyrium or scireticum [or scyreticum] (= marble of Skyros); and
Italian name — translates as "breccia of Settebassi", where
Settebassi is the name of a villa near Rome where this breccia was found. The
stone is also sometimes referred to by the Italian version of its Roman name: marmo
di sciro. Some of what has been identified here as breccia di Settebassi may be the similar-looking breccia Medicea or breccia di Serravezza
antica. References and Photos — M85
(p 47-48; 282 in pl 9 and 311 in pl 10); G88 (p 232-235; f 240), MSG89 (p
192-193; f 46a-46c), AN89 (3 on p 112), DW92 (p 156-157; d in pl 2), PB98 (p 5;
pl 5-8), LT99b and R01 (pl 4: A1-A3, B2-B3, C1-C9).
Buildings:
24?, 33, 49, 60?, 120, 133?, 319.
Uses:
rare wall veneer and columns.
I8 Cipollino
(or cipollino verde): chloritic
marble with alternating light to dark gray, yellowish, and/or light to dark
green bands, where the bands are narrow, parallel and/or deformed (contorted
and micro-faulted) with occasional white inclusions. Source — Carystos, Styra
and other sites on the Island of Euboea, western Aegean Sea, Greece. Quarried —
1st c. BC through Byzantine period. Roman name — marmor caristium [or carystium] (= marble of Carystos); and
Italian name — translates as "(green) onion", because it is layered
like an onion. References and Photos — M85 (p 58; 566, 569 in pl 17), G88 (p
181-183; f 204, 205), MSG89 (p 202-203; f 56a-56c), AN89 (11 on p 112), DW92 (p
156; c in pl 2), PB98 (p 5-6; pl 11-12) and R01 (pl 3: B1-B5).
Buildings:
15, 33, 133, 143, 218.
Uses:
rare wall and floor veneer, and columns.
I9 Cipollino mandolato: pink marble
with thick (few cm's), almost nodular layers that are sometimes brecciated or
cut by thick white veins. The variety seen in Cairo differs from the more
typical cipollino mandolato which has less layering and more
conspicuous, ovoid (almond-like) white or pink nodules in a green, pink or
purple matrix. Source — occurs along a 100 km stretch of the central Pyrenees
Mountains between Santa Marie de Campan (province of Hautes Pyrénées) and Esplas
de Serou (province of Ariege), southern France. Quarried — 3rd c. AD
until present. The Roman quarries (2nd c. AD onward) are near Pont
de la Taule, and the medieval and moderns ones are near Santa Marie de Campan.
Roman name — unknown; French name — marbre campan; Italian name — translates to
"onion [with] almonds", the latter referring to the almond-like
nodules. References and Photos — M85 (p 58-59; 585 & 588 in pl 17), G88 (p
183; f 207), MSG89 (p 204-205; f 57a-57b), ALRT02 and R01 (pl 3: B6-B8).
Buildings: 123.
Uses: rare wall veneer.
I10 Cipollino
rosso
a. Cipollino rosso venato (veined variety): marble with
alternating, contorted white to light gray and light to dark red bands or
veins, where the gray veins are commonly discontinuous or replaced with
elongated/deformed patches of the same color.
b. Cipollino
rosso brecciato (brecciated
variety): marble with white to commonly light gray or rarely black,
medium-grained, subrounded marble clasts in a red matrix. Occasionally, there
are large red, clast-free areas or textures transitional with the veined
variety. This stone can be similar in appearance to both breccia corallina
and broccatelli d'Egitto.
Source — Asin Kurin near Milas (ancient
Iasos in Caria), southwestern Turkey. Quarried — 3rd c. AD through
Byzantine period, and again in modern times. Roman name — marmor carium or iassense
(= marble of Caria or Iasos); and Italian names — translate as "veined red
onion" and "brecciated red onion". The "venato"
suffix in the name of the veined variety is introduced here to clearly
distinguish it from the brecciated variety. In the literature the veined
variety is referred to simply as cipollino rosso. The latter is also
referred to by the Italians as Iassense rosso brecciato (= red breccia
of Iasos) and Africanone (= due to its similar appearance to Africanco;
I1). References and Photos: veined variety — M85 (p 46-47; 262, 265 in pl 8),
G88 (p 243-245; f 244), MSG89 (p 207; f 59a-59b), AN89 (12 on p 112), DW92 (p
156) and PB98 (p 9; pl 45-46); brecciated variety — M85 (p 46; 257 in pl 8),
G88 (p 244-245; f 245), MSG89 (p 289; f 127a), PB98 (p 9; pl 47-48) and R01 (pl
3: C4-C5).
Buildings:
veined variety — 18, 35, 43, 66, 97, 117, 125, 130, 133, 187, 190, 218, 242,
SAB; brecciated variety — 32, 38, 43, 66, 116, 119, 121, 123, 130, 133, 134,
143?, 190, 203?, 218, 220, 221, 255, 281.
Uses:
abundant floor and especially wall veneer, and scarce columns.
I11 Fior
di pesco [or persico]: reddish,
pinkish to purplish marble with highly contorted and brecciated layers, and
white patches and veins. Source — near Eretria (20 km south of ancient Chalcis
or modern Halkida), Island of Euboea, western Aegean Sea, Greece. Quarried — 1st
c. BC into the Roman period. Roman name — marmor
chalcidicum (= marble of Chalcis); and Italian name — translates as
"blossom of the peach-tree". The Italians also sometimes call it marmo
rosso di Eretria (= red marble of Eretria). References and Photos — M85 (p
57-58; 548, 551 & 555 in pl 16), G88 (p 184-186; f 127), MSG89 (p 212; f
63a-63b), AN89 (3 on p 113), DW92 (p 156), PB98 (p 5; pl 9-10) and R01 (pl 2:
B6-B9).
Buildings:
123, 133, 218, 281?.
Uses:
rare wall veneer.
I12 Granito
violetto: purplish gray, medium- to coarse-grained quartz monzonite. Source
— Cigri Dag near Ezine, Troad Peninsula (ancient Troas), northwestern Turkey.
Quarried — 4th c. BC to 6th c. AD. Roman name — marmor troadense (= marble of Troas);
Italian name — translates as "violet granite". References and Photos
— M85 (p 68; 790 in pl 23), G88 (p 152-153; f 103), MSG89 (p 236-237; f 82a),
DW92 (p 159) and GLM92 (t 1-5) and PB98 (p 7; pl 28).
Buildings:
1, 120, 143.
Uses:
rare columns.
I13 Greco
scritto: medium-grained marble with dark gray to bluish gray (graphitic)
script-like inclusions and veining on a white matrix that borders, at times, on
brecciation. Source — Cap de Garde near Annaba, Algeria. Quarried — 1st
to 4th c. AD. Roman name — unknown; and Italian name — translates as
"Greek script". References and Photos — M85 (p 60; 642 & 643 in
pl 19), MSG89 (p 237; f 83a), DW92 (p 153) and R01 (pl 1: B5 & pl 3: A3).
Building:
133, 138, 248, 319.
Uses:
rare wall and floor veneer, and columns.
I14 Marble of Carrara
a. Marmo
bianco di Carrara: mottled dark
and predominately light gray, fine- to medium-grained marble. Source — Carrara
(ancient Luna or Luni), northwestern Italy. Quarried — 1st c. BC to
3rd c. AD, and again in medieval to modern times. Roman name — marmor lunense or lapis lunensis (= marble or stone of Luna); and Italian name —
translates as "marble of Carrara". References — M85 (p 61-61), G88 (p
265), MSG89 (p 248), DW92 (p 153) and R01 (pl 1: A8).
b. Bardiglio
di Carrara: mottled light and predominately dark gray to black, fine- to
medium-grained marble. Source — same as marmo di Carrara. Quarried —
Roman period (c. unknown), and again in medieval to modern times. Italian name
has no translation. References and Photos — M85 (p 60; 634 in pl 19), MSG89 (p
153; f 13a) and R01 (pl 1: B3).
Buildings: most of the buildings
renovated in the 19th and 20th centuries have some of
these two marbles. Apparently none of the Carrara marble in Cairo is ancient.
In this study the marmo bianco di Carrara is often identified as simply light
gray or "white" marble (U1), and the bardiglio di Carrara as dark
gray or "black" marble (U2).
Uses:
common wall and floor veneer, columns, and door sills and jambs.
I15 Marmo
Pentelico: white to yellowish
white, translucent, fine-grained marble. Source — Mount Pentelicon near Athens,
Greece. Quarried — 5th c. BC until late Roman period (c. unknown).
Roman name — marmor pentelicum (= marble of Pentelicon); and Italian name
— translates as "Pentelic marble". References — M85(p 61), G88 (p
263) and MSG89 (p 251).
Buildings:
133?, 187.
Uses:
rare floor veneer.
I16 Marmo
di Proconneso (a.k.a. Proconnesian
marble): light gray marble with straight, parallel, dark — often bluish
— gray bands. Some bands may show faulting. Source — Island of Proconnesos or
Marmora, Sea of Marmora, northwestern Turkey. Quarried — 6th c. BC
into Ottoman period. Most of the marble imported to Egypt during the Roman
period was Proconnesian. Roman name — marmor
proconnesium (= marble of Proconnesos); and Italian name — translates as
"marble of Proconnesos". The Italians also sometimes call it marmo cipolla (= banded marble).
References and Photos — M85 ( p 60-61; 649 & 652 in pl 19), G88 (p
263-264), MSG89 (p 252; f 99a), DW92 (p 154) and R01 (pl 1: A7).
Buildings:
essentially every building has some of this marble.
Uses:
abundant wall and floor veneer, columns, and door sills and jambs.
I17 Nero
antico: dark gray to mainly black limestone with common to mainly rare,
straight to slightly contorted, thin white to light gray or yellowish veins and
patches plus, rarely, small invertebrate fossils. It is easily confused with
other black, carbonaceous limestones. Source — most prominent is Gebel Aziz
(near ancient Chemtou) in Tunisia but there are other sources in Tunisia, Italy
and Greece. Quarried — 2nd c. AD to Late Roman period. Italian name
— translates as "ancient black". References and Photos — M85 (p 57;
539 & 543 in pl 16), G88 (p 193-195), MSG89 (p 254-255; f 101a-101c), AN89
(p 85), PB98 (p 13-14; pl 80) and R01 (pl 1: C1-C2).
Buildings:
49?, 66?, 114?, 203?, 218?.
Uses:
scarce wall and floor veneer, and rarely columns.
I18 Occhio
di pavone rosso [or pavonazzo]: fossiliferous limestone with
red, pink and/or purple, fine-grained calcareous matrix, and white rudist
pelecypod shell fragments up to several cm across plus much smaller echinoid
and foraminifera bioclasts. Source — Kutluca, near Izmit (in ancient Nicomedia),
northwestern Turkey. Quarried — 2nd to 10th c. AD, and
again in modern times. Roman name — marmor triponticum (= marble among
three seas); Byzantine name — possibly marmor pneumonusium (=
"marble like a lung", either a reference to its color or, more
likely, its texture); and Italian name — translates as "red or purple eye
of the peacock", a reference to the eye-like patterns seen in a peacock's
tail feathers. References and Photos — M85 (p 42; 149, 154 & 155 in pl 5),
G88 (p 206-209; f 216-217), MSG89 (p 258-262; f 105a-105b), PB98 (p 7; pl
25-27), L02 and R01 (pl 7: C1-C9).
Buildings:
32, 116?, 123, 125, 130, 133?, 190, 203, 218.
Uses:
scarce wall and floor veneer.
I19 Pavonazzetto:
marble with white clasts of medium-grained (1-3 mm) marble in a red to mainly
purplish matrix cut by purplish-red and rarely green veins. The clasts usually
have edges that are diffuse rather than sharp as in breccia di Settebassi. Source — Ischehisar near Afyon (ancient
Docimium in Phrygia), west-central Turkey. Quarried — 1st c. BC to 6th
c. AD. Roman name — marmor phrygium, synnadicum or docimium (= marble
of Phyrgia, Synnada or Docimium); and Italian name — translates as
"purplish". References and Photos — M85 (p 59; 600 & 606 in pl
18), G88 (p 169-171; f 125-126), MSG89 (p 264-265; f 109a-109b), AN90 (p
93-94), DW92 (p 156; f in pl 1), PB98 (p 8; pl 37-40) and R01 (pl 2: A2-A9).
Buildings:
32, 43, 66, 123, 130, 133, 147, 190, 319;
SAB.
Uses:
scarce wall veneer and rare columns.
I20 Porfido
serpentino verde (or porfido verde di Grecia, porfido verde
antico or simply serpentino):
andesite to diabase porphyry with large, light to medium green or yellowish
phenocrysts in a dark green groundmass. Source — Laconia between KroKeai and
Stephania (near ancient Sparta), Peloponnese, southern Greece. Quarried — 1st
c. BC through Roman period. This porphyry and the MP imperial porphyry (see E1
above) were, volumetrically, the two colored decorative stones most heavily
used by the Romans. Greek name — krokeatis lithos (stone of Crokeatis); Roman
name — lapis lacedaemonius or marmor
lacedaemonium (= stone or marble of Lacedaemon, which is another name for
Sparta); and Italian name — translates as "green serpentine
porphyry". References and Photos — M85 (p 66; 731 in pl 22), G88 (p
141-144), MSG89 (p 279-281; f 121a-121d), AN89 (14 on p 112), DW92 (p 158; b in
pl 1), PB98 (p 6; pl 13-16) and R01 (pl 18: A1-A4).
Buildings:
123, 147, 189, 190; SCB.
Uses: rare wall veneer.
I21 Rosso
antico: fine-grained,
non-fossiliferous, red to purplish red or mottled light and dark red marble
with occasional black and/or white inclusions or veins. Source — Prophitis
Elias, Paganea, Kokkinoghia and other sites near Cape Tainaron (also Taenaros
or Matapan), Peloponnese, southern Greece. Quarried — 2nd c. BC into
the Roman period. Roman name — marmor
taenarium (= marble of Taenaros); and Italian name — translates as
"ancient red". References and Photos — M85 (p 59; 596 & 599 in pl
17), G88 (p 187-191; f 198), MSG89 (p 288; f 126a), AN89 (p 95-97), DW92 (p
157; f in pl 2), PB98 (p 6; pl 19-20) and R01 (pl 5: B9).
Buildings:
120, 123, 133, 187?
Uses:
rare wall veneer.
I22 Verde
antico: calcareous serpentinite/marble breccia with pebble- to
cobble-size, angular, white marble clasts plus black to dark green
serpentinite clasts in a medium to dark green matrix with rare bluish and
reddish patches. Source — Mount Thyseo near Larisa in Thessaly, east-central
Greece. Quarried — 2nd to 6th c. AD. Roman name — marmor thessalicum (= marble of
Thessaly); and Italian name — translates as "ancient green".
References and Photos — M85 (p 63-64; 683, 686 & 689 in pl 20), G88 (p
162-165; f 118), MSG89 (p 292-293; f 13b-13c), AN89 (7 on p 113), DW92 (p 157;
f in pl 2), PB98 (p 5; pl 1-4) and R01 (pl 15: B1-B8).
Buildings:
32, 35, 38, 43, 44, 66, 97, 99, 119, 121, 123, 125, 133, 138, 143, 147, 149,
175, 187, 189, 190, 203, 218, 255, 549; SAB.
Uses: abundant wall and floor veneer,
and scarce columns.
STONES OF UNCERTAIN OR UNKNOWN PROVENANCE
Marbles
U1 Light gray (a.k.a. "white")
marble undifferentiated: refers to numerous varieties of marble that vary from
a nearly uniform white or light gray color to more often light gray with dark
gray (or dark bluish gray) streaks, bands or mottlings. Most if not all of the
gray-banded marble is Proconnesian (see I16 above), and much of the non-banded,
mottled marble may be marmo bianco di Carrara (I14a).
Buildings:
essentially every building has some of this marble.
Uses:
abundant wall and floor veneer, columns, and door sills and jambs.
U2 Dark gray (a.k.a. "black")
marble undifferentiated: refers to numerous varieties of marble that vary from
a nearly uniform black or dark gray color to more often dark gray with light
gray streaks, bands or mottlings. Much of this marble is probably Bardiglio
di Carrara (I14b). Some may also be nero
antico without the veining (I17) or carbonaceous limestone.
Buildings:
found in nearly all the buildings.
Uses:
abundant wall and floor veneer, especially in stone mosaics.
U3 Brecciated light gray/black marble:
pebble- to boulder-size pieces of light gray marble in a dark gray to black matrix.
This marble is possibly either a light-colored variety of breccia di Settebassi (I7) or a variety of africano (I1).
Building:
97.
Uses: rare columns.
Limestones
U4 Fossiliferous red/pink limestone undifferentiated:
red or mottled red and pink limestone with white mollusc shell (mainly oyster)
or crinoid fragments up to several mm across. This stone was widely used as a
look-alike for the more valuable MP imperial porphyry (E1). The variety with crinoids
may be rossi di Verzegnis (from near Verzegnis, province of Udine,
northeastern Italy, and quarried only in post-Roman times). Most of the
limestone with larger shells is probably occhio
di pavone rosso (I18).
Buildings:
32, 43, 45, 66, 97, 119, 162, 175, 190, 203, 215, 255; SAB.
Uses:
common wall and floor veneer.
U5 Red limestone: refers to any
fine-grained, featureless (lacks obvious fossils), red (ferruginous) limestone.
It is possible that some of what is identified here as red limestone is
actually rosso antico marble (I21), and some of it may
even be red terracotta.
Buildings: found in nearly all the
buildings.
Uses:
abundant wall and floor veneer, especially in stone mosaics.
U6 Pink limestone conglomerate: limestone
conglomerate with tan to mainly pink, subangular to subround, pebble-size
clasts which are tightly compacted. It is possibly a variety of breccia rossa appenninica (I6) or breccia
aurora classica (M1).
Buildings:
66, 97.
Uses:
rare wall and floor veneer, and columns.
U7 Orange, tan and green limestones: refers
to any fine-grained and featureless limestone with orange, tan or green color.
It is possible, but unlikely, that some of this stone is actually marble. Some
of the orange limestone may be astracane
dorato d'Egitto (E18). The green limestone (e.g., building 121) looks like
WH greywacke (E8) and can be easily confused with it unless tested with acid
(the former fizzes whereas the latter does not). Some of what is identified as
tan limestone may actually be discolored white/light gray marble.
Buildings
and Uses: common wall and floor veneer, especially in stone mosaics.
U8 Swirled yellow/pink limestone: yellowish
to pinkish limestone with what appears to be swirled or deformed laminations.
It may come from the Roman-Byzantine quarry at Kabatia, near Bethlehem,
Palestine (West Bank).
Buildings:
123, 133, 189.
Uses:
rare wall veneer.
U9 Yellow and red conglomerate: limestone
conglomerate with red matrix, and rounded, light to medium gray and yellow
clasts. This is possibly breccia di Aleppo.
Breccia
di Aleppo: source – Alet, France. Quarried in Roman times (c. unknown).
References: M85 (p 51-52;
383 in pl 12), G88 (p 237-238), MSG89 (p 161; f 18a) and R01 (pl 13: C1-C3).
Buildings:
134.
Uses: rare columns.
Either
Marble or Limestone
U10 Mottled pink limestone/marble: limestone
or marble, mottled light and darker pink with occasional light gray areas. This
stone may be a variety of either breccia
traccagnina (see U9), breccia di
Aleppo (see U9) or rosso antico (I21).
Buildings:
66, 97, 133, 203, 218.
Uses:
wall and floor veneer, and rarely columns.
U11 Red-and-white breccia undifferentiated:
limestone or marble breccia with mainly white to occasionally pinkish or
yellowish, subrounded to mainly angular, pebble- to cobble-size clasts in a red
or pink matrix. This description generally fits three stones from different
sources that, for many people, are difficult to distinguish megascopically: breccia
corallina (I4), cipollino rosso brecciato (I10b), and broccatelli
d'Egitto (E19). When it was not possible to make a distinction the stone
was simply identified as red-and-white breccia. Most such occurrences, however,
are probably cipollino rosso brecciato with much of the rest being Egyptian
broccatelli.
Buildings:
143, 187, 549; SAB.
Uses:
wall veneer, and columns.
Modern Stones These stones were quarried in Europe during the 19th
and 20th centuries, and those examples seen in Cairo result mostly,
if not entirely, from restorations since the late 1880's. A couple of these
stones were also have been quarried by the Romans and so it is possible that
some pieces date from this earlier period.
M1 Breccia
aurora classica: from the Lombardia region, province of Brescia,
northern Italy. Quarried only in post-Roman times. Buildings: 218?
M2 Broccato
di Verona [a.k.a., rossi di Verona]:
mottled pink and purple limestone where the pink areas sometimes break up into
what look like rounded pebbles or nodules. Broccatello di Verona is a
rare and more valuable subvariety that is characterized by smaller nodules (2-3
cm maximum). From near Verona, northern Italy. Quarried only in post-Roman
times. Buildings: 13, 66, 97, 120, 143,
187, 190, 218, 281.
M3 Nero
assoluto: source unknown. Quarried only in post-Roman times. Buildings:
66.
M4 Nero
del Belgio [a.k.a., Belgium black]: from near Golzinne, central Belgium. Quarried
only in post-Roman times. Building: 218?
M5 Pomarolo [a.k.a., breccia
di Arbe]: from the Island of Rab (ancient Arbe), Adriatic Sea, northern
Croatia. Quarried from the 12th c. AD until the 19th c? Building:
120.
M6 Portoro: mottled medium to dark
gray marble with occasional layers and irregular pockets of white/light gray
and yellow. From near Portovenere, province of La Spezia, Tuscany, northwestern
Italy. Quarried from 16th c. AD to present. Buildings: 66, 123, 190, 218.
M7 Rosso di Francia [a.k.a. Lanquedoc marble]: from near Gard,
province of Lanquedoc, southern France. Quarried only in post-Roman times. Buildings:
66, 134?, 221.
M8 Rosso di Levanto: from near
Levanto, province of La Spezia, northwestern Italy. Quarried from the 16th
c. AD to present. Building: 123?
M9 Verde
Alpi: brecciated medium green to greenish black serpentinite which is cut
by numerous, thick, white to mainly pale green veins. From the Aosta Valley,
northwestern Italy. Other similar-looking stones were quarried in the Piedmont
and Ligury areas of northern Italy, and some of what has been identified here
as verde alpi may be one or more of these other stones. Quarried only in
post-Roman times. Buildings: 35, 130,
134, 143, 147, 149, 187, 190, 218, 242, 248?, 281?; SAB.
M10 Verde Tenos: from the
Island of Tinos, southern Aegean Sea (Cyclades), Greece. Quarried from
Roman times (c. unknown) to present. It was probably used as a substitute for
the similar-looking but more costly verde antico. Building:
281?
M11 Porous travertine: light gray to nearly
white travertine with large elongated pores parallel to bedding. From the area
around Tivoli, central Italy. Quarried from Roman times (c. unknown) to
present. Building: 149.
M12 Dolomitic marble: possibly
"Thasian" from the Island of Thasos, northern Aegean Sea, Greece.
Quarried from 7th c BC to 7th c. AD, and again in modern
times? Building: 33.
AHS00 Aston, B. G., J.A. Harrell and I. Shaw, 2000, Stones; in
P.T. Nicholson and I. Shaw (eds.), "Ancient Egyptian Materials and
Technology": University of Cambridge Press, Cambridge, p. 5-77.
ALRT02 Antonelli,
F., L. Lazzarini, L. Rasplus and B. Turi, 2002, Petrographic and geochemical
characterization of cipollino mandolato and determination of the provenance of
some artifacts: in J.J. Herrmann, N. Herz and R. Newman (eds.),
"ASMOSIA 5 – Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone" (Proceedings
of Fifth International Conference of the Association for the Study of Marble
and Other Stones in Antiquity, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 1998): Archetype
Publications, Ltd., London, p. 77-90.
AN89 Anderson, M. L. and
L. Nista (eds.), 1989, Radiance in stone — sculptures in colored marble from the
Museo Nazionale Romana: De Luca Edizioni D'Arte (Rome).
BH91 Brown, V. M. and J.
A. Harrell, 1991, Megascopic classification of rocks: Journal of Geological
Education, v. 39, p. 379-387.
BH95 Brown, V. M. and J.
A. Harrell, 1995, Topographical and petrological survey of ancient Roman
quarries in the Eastern Desert of Egypt; in Y. Maniatis, N. Herz and Y.
Bassiakis (eds.), "The Study of Marble and Other Stones in Antiquity —
ASMOSIA III, Athens", Transactions of the 3rd International Symposium of
the Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in Antiquity:
Archetype Publications (London), p. 221-234.
BH98 Brown, V.M. and J.A.
Harrell, 1998, Aswan granite and granodiorite:
Göttinger Miszellen, Beiträge zur
Ägyptologischen Diskussion, no. 164, p. 33-39.
DK92 DePutter, T. and C.
Karlshausen, 1992, Les pierres utilisées dans la sculpture et l'architecture de
l'Égypte pharaonique — guide pratique illustré: Connaissance de l'Égypte
Ancienne (Bruxelles).
DW92 Dodge, H. and B.
Ward-Perkins (eds.), 1992, Marble in antiquity — collected papers of J. B.
Ward-Perkins: Archaeological Monographs of the British School at Rome No. 6,
British School at Rome (London).
GLM92 Galetti,
G., L. Lazzarini and M. Maggetti, 1992, A first characterization of the most
important granites used in antiquity; in M. Waelkens, N. Herz and L.
Moens (eds.), "Ancient Stones — Quarrying, Trade and Provenance":
Acta Archaeologia Lovaniensia Monographiae 4, Leuven University Press (Leuven),
p. 167-177.
G88 Gnoli, R., 1988, Marmora
Romana: Edizioni dell'Elefante (Rome).
H90 Harrell,
J. A., 1990, Misuse of the term 'alabaster' in Egyptology: Göttinger Miszellen,
Beiträge zur Ägyptologischen Diskussion, no. 119, p. 37-42.
H92 Harrell,
J. A., 1992, Ancient Egyptian limestone quarries — a petrological survey:
Archaeometry, v. 34, p. 195-212.
HB92a Harrell, J.A. and V.M. Brown, 1992, The
world's oldest surviving geological map — the 1150 BC Turin papyrus from Egypt: Journal of Geology, v. 100, p. 3-18.
HB92b Harrell, J.A. and V.M. Brown, 1992, The
oldest surviving topographical map from ancient Egypt (Turin Papyri 1879, 1899 and 1969): Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt,
v. 29, p. 81-105.
HB95 Harrell, J. A. and
T. M. Bown, 1995, An Old Kingdom basalt quarry at Widan el-Faras and the quarry
road to Lake Moeris in the Faiyum, Egypt: Journal of the American Research
Center in Egypt, v. 32, p. 71-91.
HBL99 Harrell, J.A., V.M. Brown and L.
Lazzarini, 1999, Two newly discovered Roman quarries in the Eastern Desert of
Egypt: in M. Schvoerer (ed.), "Archeomateriaux, Marbres et Autre
Roches — Actes de la Conference Internationale ASMOSIA IV, 9-13 Octobre
1995", Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à L'Archéologie — Presses
Universitaires de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, p. 285-292.
HBLf Harrell, J.A., V.M. Brown and L. Lazzarini, 2002, Breccia verde antica – source, petrology and ancient uses; in L. Lazzarini (ed.), Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone – ASMOSIA VI, Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference of the Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in Antiquity, Venice, June 15-18, 2000: Bottega d'Erasmo - Aldo Ausilio Editore, Padova, p. 207-218.
HB02 Harrell, J.A. and
V.M. Brown, 2002, Rock sawing at a Roman diorite quarry, Wadi Umm Shegilat,
Egypt; in J.J. Herrmann, N. Herz and R. Newman (eds.), "ASMOSIA 5 –
Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone" (Proceedings of Fifth
International Conference of the Association for the Study of Marble and Other
Stones in Antiquity, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 1998): Archetype Publications,
Ltd., London, p. 52-57.
HL02 Harrell, J.A. and L.
Lazzarini, 2002, A new variety of granito
bianco e nero from Wadi Barud, Egypt; in J.J. Herrmann, N. Herz and
R. Newman (eds.), "ASMOSIA 5 – Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient
Stone" (Proceedings of Fifth International Conference of the Association
for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in Antiquity, Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston 1998): Archetype Publications, Ltd., London, p. 47-51.
HLBf Harrell, J.A., L. Lazzarini and M. Bruno, 2002, Reuse of Roman ornamental stones in medieval Cairo, Egypt; in L. Lazzarini (ed.), Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone – ASMOSIA VI, Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference of the Association for the Study of Marble and Other Stones in Antiquity, Venice, June 15-18, 2000: Bottega d'Erasmo - Aldo Ausilio Editore, Padova, p. 89-96.
KK93 Klemm, R. and D. D.
Klemm, 1993, Steine und steinbrüche im alten Ägypten: Springer-Verlag (Berlin).
L02 Lazzarini, L., 2002, The origin and
characterization of 'breccia nuvolata', 'marmor sagarium' and 'marmor
triponticum': in J.J. Herrmann, N. Herz and R. Newman (eds.),
"ASMOSIA 5 – Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone" (Proceedings
of Fifth International Conference of the Association for the Study of Marble
and Other Stones in Antiquity, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 1998): Archetype
Publications, Ltd., London, p. 58-67.
LPT99 Lazzarini,
L., P. Pensabene and B. Turi, 1999, Isotopic and petrographic characterization
of Marmor Lesbium, Island of Lesbos, Greece: in M. Schvoerer (ed.),
"Archeomateriaux, Marbres et Autre Roches — Actes de la Conference
Internationale ASMOSIA IV, 9-13 Octobre 1995", Centre de Recherche en
Physique Appliquée à L'Archéologie — Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux,
Bordeaux, p. 125-130.
LT99a Lazzarini,
L. and B. Turi, 1999, Discovery of the Sienese provenance of breccia dorato and
breccia gialla fibrosa, and the origin of breccia rossa appenninica: in
M. Schvoerer (ed.), "Archeomateriaux, Marbres et Autre Roches — Actes de
la Conference Internationale ASMOSIA IV, 9-13 Octobre 1995", Centre de
Recherche en Physique Appliquée à L'Archéologie — Presses Universitaires de
Bordeaux, Bordeaux, p. 77-82.
LT99b Lazzarini,
L. and B. Turi, 1999, Characterization and differentiation of the Skyros
marbles (Greece) and the Medici's breccias (Italy): in M. Schvoerer
(ed.), "Archeomateriaux, Marbres et Autre Roches — Actes de la Conference
Internationale ASMOSIA IV, 9-13 Octobre 1995", Centre de Recherche en
Physique Appliquée à L'Archéologie — Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux,
Bordeaux, p. 117-125.
MSG89 Marchei, M. C., A.
Sironi and R. Gnoli, 1989, Repertorio; in G. Borghini (ed.), "Marmi
Antichi": Leonardo-De Luca Editori (Rome), p. 131-302.
M85 Mielsch, H., 1985,
Buntmarmore aus Rom in Antikenmuseum Berlin: Staatliche Museum Preussischer
Kulturbesitz (Berlin).
PB98 Pensabene, P. and
M. Bruno, 1998, Il marmo e il colore guida fotographica — I marmi della
collezione Podesti: L'Erma di Bretschneider (Rome).
R01 Ricci,
F. M., 2001, Delle pietre antiche di Faustino Corsi romano: FMR spa (Milan).