The exploitation of local stone in Roman times: the case of north-eastern Spain

Abstract

As in many other areas of the Roman Empire, the exploitation of stone resources for the construction of buildings, public areas, infrastructure, sculptures, inscriptions and other objects, such as sarcophagi, was a key activity in Roman Spain from the beginning of the Roman conquest. However, the study of supply areas (the quarries) has been limited to date. Taking north-eastern Spain as a case study, this article addresses the importance of identifying ancient quarries by field work at the sites and archaeometric characterization of the materials. Along with consideration of the distribution of the stone from specific quarries throughout and beyond the region, this provides a solid basis to appreciate the significance of stone exploitation as part of the process of Romanization.