Mosaics from Gamzigrad, with a special overview of the sectilia pavimenta
Abstract
The imperial complex in Gamzigrad–Romuliana had an opulent decoration program for rooms and open spaces. Some of the most sumptuous decorative elements were the mosaics and surfaces covered with luxurious marble tiles. The mosaics were mostly used to cover floors of the most representative buildings, such as Palace 1, thermae or the cross-shaped building in the southwestern corner of the fortification, and traces of them were noted in vault decorations in the mentioned objects as well. The mosaics were made in opus tessellatum and opus vermiculatum techniques. Composition patterns with a square or a circular base were used the most, and fields were organized into carpets, filled with different geometric, vegetative and figural motifs.
A special group of decorative floors from the buildings of Romuliana consists of those decorated with cut marble tiles (sectilia pavimenta). The central part of the most representative room in the palatial complex – aula was decorated with this precious ...technique, as well as the appertaining two stibadia (triconch and tetraconch).
The mosaics could be dated into the later phase of Galerius’ building activities, judging by coin findings (AD 308/309–311), while the mortar floors could possibly belong to the first building phase, or even earlier. When it comes to the thermae, it was noted that the marble and stone tiles constituted a newer floor in respect to the mosaics. The dating of this sectilia pavimenta is more uncertain, due to the fact that the thermae had been in use over a long span of time during the 4th century and later.
Keywords:
Gamzigrad / Romuliana / palace / thermae / floor decorations / mosaics / motifs / sectilia pavimenta / Late AntiquitySource:
Gamzigrad-Studien I. Ergebnisse der deutsch-serbischen Forschungen im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana, Römisch-Germanische Kommission, Archaeological Institute Belgrade, Römisch-Germanische Forschungen Bd. 75. Wiesbaden 2020, 353-371, 2020Publisher:
- Frankfurt am Main : Römisch-Germanische Kommission; Belgrade : Archaeological Institute
Funding / projects:
- Romanization, urbanization and transformation of urban centres of civil, military and residential character in Roman provinces on territory of Serbia (RS-MESTD-Basic Research (BR or ON)-177007)
URI
https://publications.dainst.org/books/dai/catalog/view/2062/2388/4099http://rai.ai.ac.rs/handle/123456789/958
Collections
Institution/Community
Археолошки институт / Institute of ArchaeologyTY - CHAP AU - Jeremić, Gordana PY - 2020 UR - https://publications.dainst.org/books/dai/catalog/view/2062/2388/4099 UR - http://rai.ai.ac.rs/handle/123456789/958 AB - The imperial complex in Gamzigrad–Romuliana had an opulent decoration program for rooms and open spaces. Some of the most sumptuous decorative elements were the mosaics and surfaces covered with luxurious marble tiles. The mosaics were mostly used to cover floors of the most representative buildings, such as Palace 1, thermae or the cross-shaped building in the southwestern corner of the fortification, and traces of them were noted in vault decorations in the mentioned objects as well. The mosaics were made in opus tessellatum and opus vermiculatum techniques. Composition patterns with a square or a circular base were used the most, and fields were organized into carpets, filled with different geometric, vegetative and figural motifs. A special group of decorative floors from the buildings of Romuliana consists of those decorated with cut marble tiles (sectilia pavimenta). The central part of the most representative room in the palatial complex – aula was decorated with this precious technique, as well as the appertaining two stibadia (triconch and tetraconch). The mosaics could be dated into the later phase of Galerius’ building activities, judging by coin findings (AD 308/309–311), while the mortar floors could possibly belong to the first building phase, or even earlier. When it comes to the thermae, it was noted that the marble and stone tiles constituted a newer floor in respect to the mosaics. The dating of this sectilia pavimenta is more uncertain, due to the fact that the thermae had been in use over a long span of time during the 4th century and later. PB - Frankfurt am Main : Römisch-Germanische Kommission; Belgrade : Archaeological Institute T2 - Gamzigrad-Studien I. Ergebnisse der deutsch-serbischen Forschungen im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana, Römisch-Germanische Kommission, Archaeological Institute Belgrade, Römisch-Germanische Forschungen Bd. 75. Wiesbaden 2020, 353-371 T1 - Mosaics from Gamzigrad, with a special overview of the sectilia pavimenta UR - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_958 ER -
@inbook{ author = "Jeremić, Gordana", year = "2020", abstract = "The imperial complex in Gamzigrad–Romuliana had an opulent decoration program for rooms and open spaces. Some of the most sumptuous decorative elements were the mosaics and surfaces covered with luxurious marble tiles. The mosaics were mostly used to cover floors of the most representative buildings, such as Palace 1, thermae or the cross-shaped building in the southwestern corner of the fortification, and traces of them were noted in vault decorations in the mentioned objects as well. The mosaics were made in opus tessellatum and opus vermiculatum techniques. Composition patterns with a square or a circular base were used the most, and fields were organized into carpets, filled with different geometric, vegetative and figural motifs. A special group of decorative floors from the buildings of Romuliana consists of those decorated with cut marble tiles (sectilia pavimenta). The central part of the most representative room in the palatial complex – aula was decorated with this precious technique, as well as the appertaining two stibadia (triconch and tetraconch). The mosaics could be dated into the later phase of Galerius’ building activities, judging by coin findings (AD 308/309–311), while the mortar floors could possibly belong to the first building phase, or even earlier. When it comes to the thermae, it was noted that the marble and stone tiles constituted a newer floor in respect to the mosaics. The dating of this sectilia pavimenta is more uncertain, due to the fact that the thermae had been in use over a long span of time during the 4th century and later.", publisher = "Frankfurt am Main : Römisch-Germanische Kommission; Belgrade : Archaeological Institute", journal = "Gamzigrad-Studien I. Ergebnisse der deutsch-serbischen Forschungen im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana, Römisch-Germanische Kommission, Archaeological Institute Belgrade, Römisch-Germanische Forschungen Bd. 75. Wiesbaden 2020, 353-371", booktitle = "Mosaics from Gamzigrad, with a special overview of the sectilia pavimenta", url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_958" }
Jeremić, G.. (2020). Mosaics from Gamzigrad, with a special overview of the sectilia pavimenta. in Gamzigrad-Studien I. Ergebnisse der deutsch-serbischen Forschungen im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana, Römisch-Germanische Kommission, Archaeological Institute Belgrade, Römisch-Germanische Forschungen Bd. 75. Wiesbaden 2020, 353-371 Frankfurt am Main : Römisch-Germanische Kommission; Belgrade : Archaeological Institute.. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_958
Jeremić G. Mosaics from Gamzigrad, with a special overview of the sectilia pavimenta. in Gamzigrad-Studien I. Ergebnisse der deutsch-serbischen Forschungen im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana, Römisch-Germanische Kommission, Archaeological Institute Belgrade, Römisch-Germanische Forschungen Bd. 75. Wiesbaden 2020, 353-371. 2020;. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_958 .
Jeremić, Gordana, "Mosaics from Gamzigrad, with a special overview of the sectilia pavimenta" in Gamzigrad-Studien I. Ergebnisse der deutsch-serbischen Forschungen im Umfeld des Palastes Romuliana, Römisch-Germanische Kommission, Archaeological Institute Belgrade, Römisch-Germanische Forschungen Bd. 75. Wiesbaden 2020, 353-371 (2020), https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_958 .