Roman ornamental stones in north-western Europe

Roman ornamental stones in North-Western Europe

During Roman times, various rock types have been selected for the manufacturing of religious and funerary sculptures, others have been carefully chosen for particular architectural and ornamental pieces. The latter stones were restricted to public buildings or major private houses. This taste for ornamental stones, part of which were derived from the Mediterranean realm, has generated an important supply activity of products derived from provincial quarries. Where are these materials coming from ? What is their geographical distribution ? What kind of social and economic mechanisms are playing here ? What kind of decorative elements have they been used for ? What happened after abandonment of the buildings ? Were the quarries still active during post-Roman times ? What is the importance of their recycling ?

In recent years, research into the origin and provenance of Roman ornamental stones in North-Western Europe, experienced a new impetus, generating the need for an International Conference. This conference was hosted in Belgium by the Gallo-Roman Museum of Tongeren, on April 20-22, 2016. This volume presents the full papers of the oral talks and posters given and shown at the meeting. The conference offered a true interdisciplinary and international exchange platform for archaeologists, geologists, (art) historians, heritage and restoration specialists and for all those interested in the provenance and distribution of ornamental stones, their extraction, processing and recycling in the Roman provinces of North- Western Europe.