Ipotesi su un ritratto di fanciulla di età severiana da Via Labicana

In 2007, during the archaeological excavations in via Labicana close to the church of SS. Pietro e Marcellino, a statue portraying a female head was unearthed: the piece appeared well-preserved and the formal characteristics suggested it had been sculpted under the Severian Dinasty. The Greek marble head by reason of the quality and style, can be compared with a series of portraits dating to the period between second and third decade of the III century A.D. It was possible to identify the head as that of Annia Aurelia Faustina by reason of the face and hair. She was the great niece of Marcus Aurelius and the third wife of emperor Eliogabalus, who was proclaimed Augusta from summer to winter in the year 221 A.D. Stratigraphic data proved uncertain, because in modern times, probably in the XVIIIth century, the head was thrown onto an earth dump, and the archaeological provenance is therefore uncertain being situated within an area where important monuments like the Isium Metellinum and the domus Tetricorum, are not yet placed with certainty. The excavations unearthed a cross-vaulted room with pillars and high skylights, maybe a horreum, that were laid upon previous structures constructed during Domitian’s reign, forming part of the earthworks on the northern side of Caelius hill. Later flights of stairs were built, to enable the room to link with the terrace and brick stamps were found, in part referring to the family of Marcus Aurelius and the Ummidia gens (in fact emperor’s sister, Annia Cornificia Faustina married Ummidius Quadratus), and in part to Commodus. It is suggested that after Ummidius’nephew had conspired in the plot against Commodus, the property formerly belonging to Cornificia was seized by the emperor himself but was later returned by Eliogabalus to his wife Annia Faustina, whom he honoured by commissioning the wonderful sculpture portrayed here.Nel 2007, durante uno scavo in via Labicana alle spalle della Chiesa dei SS. Pietro e Marcellino, è stata rinvenuta una testa di fanciulla molto ben conservata, che le caratteristiche formali attribuivano all'età severiana. Il ritratto, in marmo greco è di altissima qualità e presenta confronti stilistici puntuali con una serie di teste del secondo e terzo decennio del III secolo d.C. La combine fra i tratti del volto e il tipo di acconciatura porta a riconoscervi Annia Aurelia Faustina, discendente di Marco Aurelio e terza moglie di Eliogabalo, Augusta per pochi mesi fra l’estate e la fine del 221. La testa è priva di precisi dati stratigrafici, perché gettata in uno scarico di età post-antica e il contesto di ritrovamento si colloca in una zona dalla topografia assai discussa, dove fluttuano fra gli altri l'Iseo Metellino e la domus Tetricorum. Lo scavo ha messo in luce un ambiente a pilastri con volte a crociera ed alti lucernari, sovrapposto a precedenti strutture, probabilmente un horreum databile nell'età di Domiziano, nell'ambito dei lavori di terrazzamento sul versante settentrionale del Celio. La scala realizzata più tardi a collegamento dell'ambiente con la terrazza reca numerosi bolli, alcuni legati alla famiglia di Marco Aurelio ed alla gens Ummidia (Annia Cornificia Faustina, sorella dell'imperatore, aveva sposato un Ummidio Quadrato), e più tardi direttamente a Commodo. Si ipotizza che, a seguito di una congiura cui partecipò il nipote di Ummidio, la proprietà di Cornificia fosse confiscata da Commodo, per essere più tardi restituita da Eliogabalo alla moglie Annia Faustina, onorandola con lo splendido ritratto ritrovato

Ostia. Scavare, conservare, e valorizzare una città antica

The paper, introduced by Mariarosaria Barbera, aims to present the set of activities of protection and enhancement of the historical heritage promoted by the Archaeological Park of ancient Ostia, an institution also engaged in the delicate task of coordinating international scientific research. The next part deepens the themes of urban history inspired by the investigations of the Ostia Marina Project, archaeological mission of the University of Bologna working in ancient Ostia since 2007. The first section, by Massimiliano David, focuses on the settlement, on the base of the archaeological deposit documented by the excavations carried out in the area of the maritime district of the city. During the second century C.E. this suburban area assumed the role, by direct initiative of the emperor Hadrian, of a centre of thermal wellness and became the setting of the Minucius Felix’s “Octavius”. A structural failure of this functional arrangement has to be found about one hundred and fifty years later, in the Theodosian era. The second section, by Francesca Romana Stasolla, discusses the methods of economic exploitation of the dead city since the Eleventh century. In a desolate landscape of ruins, well-organized workplaces were opened to obtain marbles and works of art for the antiquarian market

Ostia. Scavare, conservare e valorizzare una citt\ue0 antica

Il contributo \ue8 introdotto da Mariarosaria Barbera, che illustra l\u2019insieme delle attivit\ue0 di tutela e valorizzazione oltre che di coordinamento della ricerca a vantaggio di Ostia e Portus, rese possibili anche grazie all\u2019istituzione recente del Parco Archeologico. Di seguito si sviluppano i temi di storia urbana suscitati dalle indagini del Progetto Ostia Marina, missione archeologica dell\u2019Universit\ue0 di Bologna operativa a Ostia antica a partire dal 2007. Nella prima sezione, a cura di Massimiliano David, si punta l\u2019interesse sulla vicenda insediativa, come \ue8 ricavabile dalla lettura del deposito archeologico documentato dagli scavi svolti nel suburbio marittimo della citt\ue0 tiberina. Il quartiere fuori porta Marina assunse infatti il ruolo, per iniziativa diretta dell\u2019imperatore Adriano, di vero e proprio polo del benessere termale e talassoterapico e divenne lo scenario in cui venne ambientato l\u2019Octavius di Minucio Felice. Un vero e proprio cedimento strutturale di questo assetto funzionale si riscontra circa centocinquant\u2019anni dopo, in epoca teodosiana. La seconda sezione, a cura di Francesca Romana Stasolla, discute le modalit\ue0 di sfruttamento economico della citt\ue0 morta a partire dal Mille. In un paesaggio di ruderi venivano allora aperti cantieri mirati a ricavare marmi e opere d\u2019arte per l\u2019industria edilizia e il mercato antiquario.The paper, introduced by Mariarosaria Barbera, aims to present the set of activities of protection and enhancement of the historical heritage promoted by the Archaeological Park of ancient Ostia, an institution also engaged in the delicate task of coordinating international scientific research. The next part deepens the themes of urban history inspired by the investigations of the Ostia Marina Project, archaeological mission of the University of Bologna working in ancient Ostia since 2007. The first section, by Massimiliano David, focuses on the settlement, on the base of the archaeological deposit documented by the excavations carried out in the area of the maritime district of the city. During the second century C.E. this suburban area assumed the role, by direct initiative of the emperor Hadrian, of a centre of thermal wellness and became the setting of the Minucius Felix\u2019s \u201cOctavius\u201d. A structural failure of this functional arrangement has to be found about one hundred and fifty years later, in the Theodosian era. The second section, by Francesca Romana Stasolla, discusses the methods of economic exploitation of the dead city since the Eleventh century. In a desolate landscape of ruins, well-organized workplaces were opened to obtain marbles and works of art for the antiquarian market

Impact of traffic vibration on the temple of Minerva Medica, Rome: preliminary study within the Co.B.Ra. project

The impact of long-term traffic vibration on ancient structures located in the city centre of big cities is an important issue, as it represents the main factor of fatigue, possibly causing structural damage in historic constructions. This article illustrates the preliminary results of a study on the so-called Temple of Minerva Medica in Rome, Italy, conducted within the CO.B.RA. project, which focuses on the development of advanced technologies and methods for the conservation of cultural heritage assets. The studied monument, which is part of the architectural heritage of ancient Rome, is located very close to several railway tracks just out of the Termini train station, on the north-east side, and to urban tramways, on the west side. To obtain indications on the dynamic behaviour of the structure and to map the base excitation induced by passing trains and trams, ambient vibration data were acquired by digital recorders with triaxial velocimeters positioned at several measurement points on the ground, around and inside the structure, and at different heights on the north-west façade. For evaluating the structural vulnerability, three-dimensional (3D) architectural surveys and non-destructive investigations on the material properties of the monument were conducted in order to implement a finite element model of the building to be used for structural analyses and dynamic simulations. In particular, to the purpose of obtaining a detailed 3D model, laser scanner and stereo-photogrammetric acquisitions were carried out. Photographic acquisitions were also used to identify the crack pattern and to document the current state of damage. Vibration and 3D reconstruction data were acquired both in summer and in winter, along with thermographic images, for assessing the seasonal effects on the structural behaviour. All collected data were stored into an ad hoc friendly data repository accessible through the internet by the accredited project end-users