Characteristics of Mortar from fhe Archeolical Site Romuliana – Gamzigrad

Abstract

Felix Romuliana is a palace erected during the rain and after the design of the Emperor Gaius Valerius Galerius Maximianus. It belongs to the category of monuments of Roman court architecture which is associated with the time of Tetrarchy. During the archeological excavations, two fortification systems were discovered, they younger outer system with twenty polygonal massive towers, and an older inner system with sixteen towers of quadragonal and octagonal towers flanking the gates. The younger outer fortification is polygonal. The communication east-west connecting two gates divides interior space into two entities. Systemic archeological research last since 1953 by probing the northwest part of the inner space. Conservation works run simultaneously with the excavations. Mortar samples were taken from the towers XI and XII of the old fortification, as well as from the tower 15 and the part of the rampart between towers 1 and 3 of the younger fortification. Mortars were analyzed with the goal of obtaining information about morphological, mineralogical, chemical and basic physical properties of mortar. For analysis of these properties, optical microscopy and scanning electronic microscope were used. Depending on the location sampled mortars, there are differences of individual properties of mortar. The optical examination of macroscopic appearance of mortar samples indicated that those are limestone binder mortars. Aggregae grains are both river and stone aggregate. Mortar porsity differs depending on the location where samples were taken.