Roman use, petrography and elemental geochemistry of the Surco Intrabético limestones (western region of Málaga province, Spain)

Abstract

This paper examines the white, pinkish-white to red lime-stones and breccias from the south-western sector of the Surco Intrabético (province of Málaga) which were exploited in Roman times. The quarry areas are located at El Torcal and Las Cabras hills (Antequera municipal district), Los Castillejos (Teba) and Peña Cerrada (Ronda). Evidence of ancient exploitation is preserved at Las Cabras and Peña Cerrada quarries. Our aim is the petrographic characterisa-tion of the different limestones, as a first step to discriminate between these stones and similar ones from other limestone outcrops districts of this sector of the Penibaetic Chain, specifically in the provinces of Córdoba and Gra-nada. Elemental geochemistry has been tested as a complementary description. These materials were, mostly, given a local and regional use in towns and villae of this area of Roman Baetica, although in some cases they must have been distributed beyond this geographic sector, as is documented by some archaeological sites of the Guadalquivir Valley.