doi:10.1016/j.culher.2007.03.008 
Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS All rights reserved.
Case study
Archaeometric and geological constraints for the provenance of carbonatic breccias used in monumental works along the Flaminia Consular Road (Umbria-Marche, Central Italy)
Mirco Vantaggia, Angela Baldanzab, 
, 
, Alberto Renzullia, Patrizia Santia, Mario Lunic and Laura Bonomid
aIstituto di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo Bo”, 61029 Urbino, Italy
bDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy
cIstituto di Archeologia, Università degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo Bo”, 61029 Urbino, Italy
dSoprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell'Umbria, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Received 24 January 2007;
accepted 27 March 2007.
Available online 4 December 2007.
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Abstract
Along the Umbria-Marche stretch of the Flaminia Consular Road (220 B.C.) several archaeological finds of the most important monumental works, are well preserved. The stones, employed to build many bridges, substructions and sewerages, are represented by carbonatic breccias whose geological environment of formation and source areas had never been established. On the basis of mineralogical, petrographic and micropalaeontological analyses, two groups of these lithotypes employed in Roman age were distinguished: “monogenic carbonatic breccias” only constituted by clasts of the Maiolica Unit (Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous) and “polygenic carbonatic breccias” made of fragments (in different proportions) of Calcare Massiccio (Early Jurassic), Corniola (Early Jurassic), Maiolica (Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous) and Scaglia Rossa (Late Cretaceous – Early Paleogene) Units. The possible source areas of the breccias are compatible with stratified slope-waste to scarp-base deposits of periglacial origin belonging to the Upper Pleistocene. In particular, among the seven investigated areas, we pointed out the most probable provenances (Monte Faeto-Colle, Costacciaro, Scirca, Foci, Secchiano) along the flanks of the Apennine Mesozoic chain of the Umbria and Marche regions. Although the Romans could have exploited the whole thickness of some outcrops (now disappeared) of these carbonatic lithotypes at the deepest part of the valleys, we have constrained a local provenance of the breccias so commonly used in the monumental works of the Flaminia.
Keywords: Flaminia; Umbria; Marche; Bridges; Substructions; Sewerages; Ashlar; Breccias; Quaternary
Fig. 1. The Flaminia Consular Road from Ocriculum to Fanum Fortunae, with the location of the monumental works (full squares) built using carbonatic breccias.
Fig. 2. Schematic column of the Lithostratigraphic Units constituting the Umbria – Marche sedimentary succession (according to Ref. [16]).
Fig. 3. Thin section microphotos of clasts belonging to the carbonatic breccias used as dressed stones in the monumental works. A, B, C, D, E: Maiolica microfacies, wackestone with radiolaria and sparitic veins; F, R: Calcare Massiccio microfacies, packstone with peloids and foraminifers; G, H: Corniola microfacies, micrite with veins of sparitic cement; I, L, M: Corniola microfacies, micrite with spicules of sponge, algae, bivalves and crinoidal fragments; N, O: Calcare Massiccio microfacies, packstone made of peloids and algae; and P, Q: Scaglia Rossa microfacies, wackestone with foraminifers (Dicarinella concavata, Globotruncana lapparenti).
Fig. 4. The Capannacce substruction with buttresses.
Fig. 5. Examples of monogenic (Maiolica) carbonatic breccias: (A) close up of a dressed stone of Capannacce substruction with equidimensional clasts; and (B) close up of a dressed stone of Nocera Umbra substruction with poorly-sorted clasts.
Fig. 6. The Manlio bridge with the main arch made of ashlars of Corniola Unit and parapets and buttresses made of polygenic carbonatic breccia (clasts consisting of Calcare Massiccio and Corniola).
Fig. 7. Location of the monumental works built with carbonatic breccias and possible source areas of provenance of the employed raw materials.
Fig. 8. Possible provenance areas of the carbonatic polygenic breccias used as dressed stones: (A) cemented levels in the Chiaserna area; and (B) cemented levels and a big slided down squared block in the area of Foci.
Fig. 9. Thin section microphotos of clasts belonging to the carbonatic breccias in the investigated outcrops. A, B: Maiolica microfacies, wackestone with radiolaria; C: Calcare Massiccio microfacies, packstone made of peloids; D: Corniola microfacies, wackestone with bivalves and radiolaria; E: Maiolica microfacies, wackestone with veins of sparitic cement; F, G, I: Corniola microfacies, wackestone with bivalves and radiolaria; H: Maiolica microfacies, wackestone with crystals of dolomite; L, N, Q, R: Scaglia Rossa microfacies, wackestone with foraminifers; M: Maiolica microfacies, wackestone with abundant radiolaria; O: Calcare Massiccio microfacies, packstone made of peloids; and P: Corniola microfacies, wackestone with bivalves.
Table 1.
Summary of microfacies, textures and lithostratigraphic units of the clasts in the carbonatic breccias used in the monumental works
Table 2.
Types of carbonatic cements in the monogenic and polygenic breccias employed in the monuments
Table 3.
Summary of microfacies, textures and lithostratigraphic units of the clasts in the carbonatic breccias found in outcrops
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