The use of Almadén de la Plata marble in the public programs of colonia Augusta Firma Astigi (Écija, Seville, Spain)

Abstract

The intensive and ongoing task of study and characterization of the marbles of Almadén de la Plata (Seville) has been undertakenin recent years, shedding light on the Roman exploitation of these quarries and the wide distribution of their products. In parallel, important progress is also being made in the study of the urban configuration of the Augustan colony of Astigi (modern Écija, province of Seville) where recent archaeological excavations have provided a large volume of information regarding its mostrepresentative public buildings. Several buildings of the forum have yielded a copious collection of architectural elements and inscriptions, whose morphological, typological and stylistic studies are now joined by petrographic analyses. The latter have enabled the confirmation of themassive use of Almadén de la Plata marble, in its different chromatic varieties, yet in a city which appears to havespared no expense on other stones of foreign origin. The main aim of this contribution is the assessment of the historical significance of this pattern of marble use in the public buildings of the city of Astigi.