Morphometry as new, promising method in the problematic of Roman building terracotta - XIII International Limes Congress Ingolstadt 12.-23. September 2015
Abstract
Research of building terracotta has great importance in understanding roman building activity along Limes Romanus. On roman camps like Gerulata, Ad Statuas, Ad Mures and many others, stamped bricks considerably widens our knowledge about different building phases.
Current dating is based mostly on epigraphic analyses which are not accurate in most cases. They often provide timespan stretching for decades or centuries.
However there is some amount of in situ finds that can be dated more precisely. Thanks to the uniqueness of every die used for stamping, these finds can serve as dating base for stamped bricks from different locations.
The focus here is on Vindobona as production centre and its distribution area which stretches to Ad Mures and covers even the objects in barbaricum, like those in Velký Kýr-Milanovce or Mušov-Burgstall. The amount of stamped bricks found in whole area exceeds 5000.
In order to process such a big amount of finds with accuracy, new methodological approach was chosen. Morphometric analyses are in this case more accurate and promising than typological approach.
Data are collected and measured from vertical photos of stamps. The analysis examines the shape of edge of stamp impression and then it compares its exact dimensions.
Comparative criteria were developed precisely for the roman stamped brick material. Analyses on finds from Mušov-Burgstall and Vindobona have even proven that current typological sorting can be incorrect.
In fact, stamps separated into several types proved to come from one die.