ROMAN PERIOD

ARCHITECTURE AND
MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION
3rd- 1st Century B.C
Etruscan and Greek influences
Divided in two eras

Fig. 1 St. Peters Basilica

Fig. 2 - Pompeii

FIRST ERA
Roman Republic
- Large temples to honour their Gods were built
because of the influences

SECOND ERA
Roman Empire
- Approximately 51,000 miles of paved
highways across their Empire were built

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND MATERIALS

- Architecture

Basilicas
Baths
Amphitheatres
Triumphal arches
Villas
Roman Temples
Roman Roads
Roman Forts and Stockades
Roman Towns
Aqueducts

Fig. 3 Basilica Aemilia

Fig. 4 Baths of Diocletian

Fig. 5 Verona Arena

Fig. 6 Arch of Caracalla at

Volubilis

Fig. 7 Villa of the Mysteries, 100

BC- 62 AD Pompeii

Fig. 8 Temple of Saturn

Fig. 9 Roman road

Fig. 10 Arbeia Roman Fort

Fig. 11 Segovia Aqueduct

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND MATERIALS

- Materials
Stone
Clay
Lime and Mortar
Wood
Terracotta and Ceramics
Metal
Glass
Roman Concrete

STONE
- Marbles
Chemtou marble, yellow veined Tunisia
Chios marble, grey-blue Island of Chios
Filfila marble, white Cap de Garde, Algeria
Parian marble, bright white Island of Paros
Pentelic marble, white Mount Pentelikon, Attica
Porta Santa marble, polychrome veins, red-blue, violet, black,white
Iassos
Proconnesus marble, white and white-black veined Island of
Proconnesus
Pyrenean marble, white Saint-Beat

Fig. 12 Chios Marble

Fig. 13 Chemtou
Marble

Fig. 14 Parian
Marble

Fig. 15 Pentelic
Marble

- Other rocks

Alabaster, white Thebes, Egypt

Granite, pink, grey and black Aswan
Porphyry, red Egypt
Porphyry, green Cape Matapa, Peloponnese

Fig. 16 Alabaster

Fig. 17 Granite

Fig. 18 Porphyry

CLAY
- Unbaked clay
Walls
Bricks
Daub
- Baked clay
Bricks
Pottery
Fig. 19 Tamping of
puddled clay inside a
formwork. (Moroccan
Atlas, twentieth
century).

Fig. 20 Mixing clay with straw as a

defattening agent tempering by
treading, in the preparation of
puddled clay or unbaked bricks.

WOOD
Green oak Yeuse
Chestnut Castanea
Ash Fraxinus
Elm Ulmus
Beech Fagus
Fir Albies
Poplar Populus
Pine

Fig. 21 Timber Jointing

1. Splayed scarf-joint (purlins and rafters)

2. Splayed joint with part abutments (purlins
and rafters)
3. Splayed indent scarf (scarf-joint splayed
and tabled)
4. Splayed indent scarf with transverse keys
tie-beam)
5. Scarf-joint with tenon
6. Halved scarf-joint
7. Scarf-joint with slit (slot) mortice
8. Splayed scarf-joint
9. Scarf-joint with indentation
10. Scarf-joint with indentantion

10

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1

10

11

12

Fig. 22 Timber Jointing

Mortice and Tenon joint

Square halved joint
Dovetail joint
Halved joint (through-splayed scarf-joint)
Lap-joint (foot of principal rafter)
Lap-joint with mortice and tenon (foot of
principal rafter)
7. Lap-joint with abutments (head of
principal rafter)
8. Lap-joint with mortice and tenon (head of
principal rafter)
9. Lap-joint with abutments (foot of common
rafter)
10. Overhanging base bearer of common
rafter

TERRACOTTA AND CERAMICS

Roof tiling
Waterproofing of pools
Vessels
Bricks
Pipes

METAL
Iron
Tin
Bronze
Cooper
Silver
Lead
Zinc

Applications
Jewellery
Artefacts
Sculptures
Pipes
Weapons
Tools
Dishes
Reinforcing
structures

Fig. 23 Roman
Gold Earrings

Fig. 24 Marcus Aurelius

Fig. 25 Roman Artefacts

GLASS
Ancient material
Created in Mesopotamia, Egypt
Can be cast or blown
Used for jars, bottles, jewels and
window panes
Romans are the first civilisation
which created glass large enough
for windows

Fig. 26 Window Glass

Fig. 27 Roman
glass bottle

Fig. 28 Gold vermeil

Roman Glass Jewelry

ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig. 1 - B, N. (2016). St. Peters Basilica. [image] Available at: http://housely.com/roman-architecture/ [Accessed 18 Oct.
2016].
Fig. 2 - B, N. (2016). Pompeii. [image] Available at: http://housely.com/roman-architecture/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 3 - http://www.crystalinks.com/romanbasilica.html, (n.d.). Basilica Aemilia. [image] Available at:
http://www.crystalinks.com/romanbasilica.html [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 4 - EUROPEAN TRIPS, (n.d.). Baths of Diocletian. [image] Available at: http://europeantrips.org/baths-ofdiocletian.html [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 5 - Turopia, (2015). Verona Arena. [image] Available at: http://www.touropia.com/roman-amphitheaters/ [Accessed 18
Oct. 2016].
Fig. 6 - Turopia, (2016). Arch of Caracalla at Volubilis. [image] Available at: http://www.touropia.com/monumentaltriumphal-arches/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 7 - https://earlychurchhistory.org/daily-life/ancient-roman-villas/, (n.d.). Villa of the Mysteries, 100 BC- 62 AD Pompeii.
[image] Available at: https://earlychurchhistory.org/daily-life/ancient-roman-villas/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 8 - OpenBuildings, (n.d.). Temple of Saturn. [image] Available at: http://openbuildings.com/buildings/temple-of-saturnprofile-11126 [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 9 - http://www.crystalinks.com/romeroads.html, (n.d.). Roman Road. [image] Available at:
http://www.crystalinks.com/romeroads.html [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 10 - CasttlesFortsBattles, (2016). Arbeia Roman Fort. [image] Available at:
http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/north_east/arbeia.html [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig.11 - C, B. (2016). Segovia Aqueduct. [image] Available at: http://www.historvius.com/segovia-aqueduct1086/pictures/454/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].

Fig.12 - StoneContact, (n.d.). Chios Marble. [image] Available at: http://www.stonecontact.com/chios-brown/s5405

[Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig.13 - StoneContact, (n.d.). Chemtou Marble. [image] Available at: http://www.stonecontact.com/chemtou-marble/s7080
[Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 14 - StoneContact, (n.d.). Parian Marble. [image] Available at: http://www.stonecontact.com/parian-marble/s16244
[Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 15 - Hellenic Company of Marble, (n.d.). Pentelitic Marble. [image] Available at:
http://www.hellenicompanyofmarble.com/pentelicon-quarry?lightbox=image14qw [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 16 - Lanzi, C. (n.d.). Alabaster. [image] Available at:
http://geology.about.com/od/rocks/ig/sedrockindex/rocpicalabaster.htm#step-heading [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 17 - Alden, A. (2004). Granite. [image] Available at:
http://geology.about.com/od/rocks/ig/igrockindex/rocpicgranite.htm [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 18 - Sandatlas, (n.d.). Porphyry. [image] Available at: http://www.sandatlas.org/rock-types/ [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 19 -Tamping of puddled clay inside a formwork. (Moroccan Atlas, twentieth century) : [collage] In: Adam, J. (2005).
Roman Building Materials and Techniques. 3rd ed. Taylor & Francis, p.107.
Fig. 20 - Mixing clay with straw as a defattening agent tempering by treading, in the preparation of puddled clay or
unbaked bricks: [collage] In: Adam, J. (2005). Roman Building Materials and Techniques. 3rd ed. Taylor & Francis, p.107.
Fig. 21 - Timber Jointing: [collage] In : Adam, J. (2005). Roman Building Materials and Techniques. 3rd ed. Taylor & Francis,
p.186.
Fig. 22 - Timber Jointing:[collage[ In: Adam, J. (2005). Roman Building Materials and Techniques. 3rd ed. Taylor & Francis,
p.188

Fig. 23 - Ancienttouch, (n.d.). Roman Gold Earrings. [image] Available at:

http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman%20gold%20jewelry.htm [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 24 - Cartwright, M. (2013). Marcus Aurelius. [image] Available at: http://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Sculpture/ [Accessed
18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 25 - Derbyshire, D. (2007). Roman Artefacts. [image] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article500122/Haul-ancient-Roman-artefacts-London-stuns-experts.html [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 26 - Portable Antiquities Scheme, (n.d.). Window Glass. [image] Available at:
https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/88611 [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 27 - http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman_glass.htm, (n.d.). Roman glass bottle. [image] Available at:
http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman_glass.htm [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
Fig. 28 - National Geographic Store, (n.d.). Gold-vermeil Roman Glass Jewelry. [image] Available at:
https://shop.nationalgeographic.com/product/jewelry/jewelry-sets/gold-vermeil-roman-glass-jewelry [Accessed 18 Oct.
2016].

REFERENCE LIST
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Ancientfortresses.org. (2016). Roman Architecture. [online] Available at: http://www.ancientfortresses.org/romanarchitecture.htm [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
ANSA.it. (2015). Pompeii's Villa of the Mysteries reopens - Lifestyle. [online] Available at:
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Cartwright, M. (2013). Roman Sculpture. [online] Ancient History Encyclopedia. Available at:
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18 Oct. 2016].
Europeantrips.org. (2016). Baths of Diocletian | European Trips. [online] Available at: http://europeantrips.org/baths-ofdiocletian.html [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].
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Moreton, A., O'sullivan, A., Tauson, L., Marcellin, G. and Amador, J. (2009). 10 Famous Roman Amphitheaters. [online]
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