Decorative Architecture from Byzantine Sozopol/Bulgaria

A series of samples from decorative architecture (capitals, columns, templon posts,...) from Byzantine Sozopol on the Black Sea coast (Bulgaria) were investigated. The aim was to characterize the marble inventory and to investigate whether the marbles were imported or if also local marbles were used.

The multivariate analysis assigns Prokonnesian origin to most of the samples, and only 4 samples are found to be outside the corresponding ellipse. Generally, a very good discrimination can be achieved; however, an overlap in the different compositional fields displayed as statistical 90 % ellipses still exists. The essential information from trace element analysis, especially when dealing with Prokonnesian marbles,
basically comes from the Mn-contents of the samples. The Mn-values of the Prokonnesian samples from our databank range between 9 and 19 ppm with an average value of 13,9 ± 2,4 ppm. The Mn-contents of the samples nos 1 to 4 are above this range, and therefore a Prokonnesian origin can be excluded solely on the basis of the Mn-contents.

In conclusion, the 4 samples are not of Prokonnesian origin. On the basis of the multimethod investigations and on petrographic information 3 samples are most probably of Pentelic and Thasian origin while one sample may be of local origin.

References:

Vanderheyde, C. and Prochaska, W., 2011: Le marbre en Bulgarie à la période byzantine : l’apport de l’étude des sculptures architecturales de Sozopol. - Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 01/2011, 135(1), 351-375.