Construction processes and economic dynamics in Miletus (1st to 3rd Century AD). An economic and archaeometric study of the stone resources of the Meander region

• Applicant: Natalia Toma-Kansteiner
• Subject Area: Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology ; Palaeontology
• Term: from 2017 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 324792715

Construction processes and economic dynamics in Miletus (1st to 3rd Century AD). An economic and archaeometric study of the stone resources of the Meander regionThe construction industry is considered today a determinant indicator of economic development. Though studies have shown that intensive construction activity during Antiquity leads to a dynamic flow of building material, manpower and technology, the comprehension of the economics of construction processes remains a research desideratum. Both the intensive construction activity at Miletus during the Roman Imperial time as well as the stone resources, so abundantly available in the Meander region are relevant factors in sizing and analysing economic dynamics. Additionally this dynamics occur in a key region of Asia Minor, where the framework for economic activities is marked by the geomorphological changes of the Meander Delta. By treating stone resources as economic goods, quantifying them according to economic and geological criteria and using them for empiric calculations of the economic effort, the project aims to study the economic implications of city-based construction processes on the local and regional economy. Furthermore the project aims to investigate the procurement strategies in construction and to determine the organisation of construction sites and the activity of craftsmanship on a local and regional level.The project addresses topics of actual scientific debate. This concerns particularly the incomplete record of the economics of ancient construction processes, primarily in terms of the methodological approaches, and secondly with regard to the potential of the ornamental decoration as a source for understanding the construction operations. In addition comes that the provenance analysis of the marbles from the Meander region is actually object of arguments; an infrastructure of archaeometrical data connected with archaeological objects still pends.New scientific results will be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach that combines the methods of the classical and economic archaeology on one hand, with archaeometry as well as with the GIS-supported analysis, on the other. Central for the project is a set of archaeometric analyses for marble provenance and the implementation of Marble.Arch as a digital archive for archaeometric reference data of the main ancient marble quarries. The fieldwork at Miletus is carried out under the excavation-license area of the DAI, whereas the quarry-survey is planed as cooperation with the Geologic Department of the University of Izmir. The marble provenance analysis gains from the close collaboration with renowned experts from Italy, Austria and the German Mining Museum (Bochum). The results are to be disseminated by preliminary reports and a monograph. Presentation and long-term preservation of the digital data occur in the database systems: Marble.Arch and iDAI.field.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria, Italy, Turkey
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Donato Attanasio; Professor Dr. Walter Prochaska; Professor Dr. Ali Bahadir Yavuz