Petrological and mineralogical provenance studies on construction stones used in the sanctuary of Olympia, Greece

• Applicant: Dr. Marilou de Vals
• Subject Area: Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology ; Geology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 569032816

This project aims to provide the first systematic identification and provenance study of building stones in the UNESCO-classed archaeological site of Olympia, in Peloponnese (Greece). The goal is to assess how the ancient builders exploited the local geological resources and clarify the role of imported building stones, in order to improve our knowledge of the construction history of the site, from the Archaic to the Hellenistic period. First of all, I will investigate the diversity of stones employed as building materials, and how they are used in construction. Then, quarries will be studied: five possible extraction spots will be tested for provenance analyses. The quarry samples will be compared to archaeological samples from the monuments at Olympia, to establish their origins. All the data will be compiled in a database in collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute at Athens. It will allow a large-scale approach, combining geology and archaeology, and create a Geographic Information System tool to increase interdisciplinary collaboration and synoptical interpretation. Finally, I aim to develop a methodology for provenance studies of sedimentary rocks used in construction, based on textural and mineralogical criteria.To answer those objectives, a three-steps analytical protocol will be applied, using 1) macroscopic description of the different sedimentary rocks, followed by 2) microscopic analyses combined with 3) mineralogical and chemical analyses, to ensure the provenance analyses. Laboratory equipment from the Institute of Geography and the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Mainz will be used: optical microscopes, an x-ray diffractometer and a scanning electron microscope. This research will bring to light new aspects to be explored in the future, be they historical (e.g. stone trade in Antiquity) or methodological (e.g. limestone provenance analysis).

• DFG Programme: WBP Position