UNDERSTANDINGAND CONSERVATIONOF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

FROM THEIR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES. THE CASE

STUDY OF S. MARIA IN PORTUNO’S SITE (CORINALDO, ITALY)

Enrico Quagliarini , Stefano Lenci , Federica Bondioli , Irene Bernabei , Giuseppe Lepore , Mirco1 1 2 2 3

Zaccaria3

1Department of Civil and Building Engineering, and Architecture (DICEA), Polytechnic University of Marche, Via

BrecceBianche–60131Ancona(Italy);

2 Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari” (DIEF), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Vignolese 905 -

41100Modena(Italy);

3 DepartmentofClassicalArchaeology,UniversityofBologna,P.zzaS.GiovanniinMonte2-40124Bologna(Italy).

Abstract

Archaeological sites are verycomplex systems, which can range inarea fromafewhundredsquare metres to

tens of hectares, generally present as a group of remains of buildings (ruins) and town-planning,

monumental, or temple systems. Each having peculiar features, often characterized by local and

characteristic construction technology and techniques. Their conservation and enhancement for cultural and

tourist purposes have taken up a significant technical and economic role. The presence of archaeological

sites is recognised as one of the essential components of the tourist supply and a strong incentive in

promoting its development. Thus, an essential condition for the enjoyment of archaeological sites is their

conservation. But any conservation project on an archaeological site should consider a variety of factors,

such as technical, cultural, relating to the landscape, economic, social, etc., the complexity of each of them

arestrictlyrelatedtoafullunderstandingofthearchaeologicalsite.

In this communication we propose an interpretation for better understanding an archaeological site starting

from the study of its building construction techniques. This approach is applied to the case study of S. Maria

in Portuno’s site (Corinaldo, Italy). The obtained results will allow both to guide the future conservation

actionsofthesiteandtoincreasethecurrentknowledgeoftheancientbuildingpractice.

Keywords: Archaeological sites, ancient construction technique, reused materials, chemical and physical

analyses,mechanicalproperties.