Mosaic floor of the Roman villa of Simonov zaliv / San Simone, room 3

Slovija, Izola, Roman villa of Simonov zaliv, room 3

Slovija, Izola, Roman villa of Simonov zaliv, room 3

M

C

IT

682

R

CIDM

0

OBJECT

OBJECT

Definition

mosaic floor

Identification

fragment

Name/Dedication

mosaic floor of the Roman villa of Simonov zaliv / San Simone, room 3

Position

Floor of room 3

Description

Room 3 is situated in the southern part of the archaeological park of the Roman villa of Simonov zaliv. The geometric black and white mosaic was preserved on almost the whole surface of room 3 whit some lacunas especially in the southern and northern corner of the room – the bedding layers of the mosaic were cut in a rectangular segment in the southern corner of the room. The mosaic surface is protected by geotextile, expanded clay, sand and gravel.

SUBJECT

SUBJECT

Identification

Roman villa of Simonov zaliv / San Simone, Izola / Isola (Slovenia), geometric black and white floor mosaic decoration

Iconographic description

The mosaic shows white-roza-gray obliquely set tesserae with a simple framing band of black and white tesserae set in straight rows (three courses of black bordered by two rows of white tesserae). The black and white mosaic floor is decorated with diamond pattern surrounded by white and black stripes of tesserae set in straight rows (two courses of each color); the border area of the mosaic consists of white obliquely set tesserae. Decorative patterns of lozenges in drafting and iterative covering are already attested in the fourth and third centuries BC in pebble mosaic technique; between the second and the first centuries BC the pattern appears to be transferred to the opus sectile technique, while in the context of tessellated mosaics the pattern is diffused especially in the time between the Augustan Age and the early decades of the first century AD (MEDER J. 2003, Podni mozaici u Hrvatskoj od 1. do 6. stoljeća. Zagreb, p. 76; RINALDI F. 2007, Mosaici e pavimenti del Veneto. Province di Padova, Rovigo, Verona e Vicenza (I sec.a.C. – VI sec. d.C.). Antenor Quaderni 7. Roma, p. 96).

GEOGRAPHICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LOCATION

Country

Slovenija

City

Izola

Locality

Simonov zaliv

SPECIFIC LOCATION

Typology

Roman villa

Qualification

villa maritima

Denomination

Izola - Arheološko najdišče Simonov zaliv

Date

final quarter of the 1. century B.C. – late 4. century A.D.

Address

Tomažičeva ulica

Specific location

Southern part of the villa

LOCATION AND PROPERTY DATA

Original location

yes

METHOD OF FINDING

Type of finding

excavation

INFORMATIONS ON FINDING

Denomination of archaeological site

Izola - Arheološko najdišče Simonov zaliv / San Simone

Management of the work

Medobčinski zavod za varstvo naravne in kulturne dediščine Piran

Those who did the work

Stokin, Marko

Date

1988

Notes

Along the south-eastern wall of the room a small structure (without foundations) was placed on the mosaic in a later phase of use of the room – the structure was identified with the base of a lararium.

Inventory number

Stratigraphic unite 16

CHRONOLOGY

GENERAL CHRONOLOGY

Century

1.

SPECIFIC CHRONOLOGY

From

25

ca.

To

49

Validity

ante

bibliography

STOKIN, MARKO San Simone. Simonov zaliv

p. 98

CULTURAL DEFINITION

AUTHOR

Name

Italic itinerant workers

Personal data/chronology

1. century B.C - 1. century A.C.

Grounds of basing the dates

analisi storica

SUBGRADES

SUBGRADES

Notes

Mortar sample SZO 45 (15.6.2011, S. Kramar, M. Kikelj, M. Macchiarola)

LAYER

Nature of the mixture

lime binder

Aggregate

micritic limestone, biogenic grains, rare quartz, brick, grains of magmatic rocks (silicate components prevail)

Size of the aggregate

0,17 - 4,19 mm

Notes

Cf. sample SZO 45: M. Gutman, S. Kramar, Arheološko najdišče Simonov zaliv EŠD 195. Poročilo naravoslovnih preiskav, Ljubljana 2011, p. 14 (Zavod za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije - Restavratorski center, unpublished report)

TESSERAE

TESSERAE MATERIAL

Material

limestone

Color

white, dark grey, black

Typology

natural

Notes

Approx. 10 mm each side

TECNIQUE

TECNIQUE

Denomination

mosaic work

Method

diretto

SURFACE

SURFACE

Texture

Tesserae are mostly obliquely set, the framing band consists of tesserae set in straight rows.

SIZES OF ARTWORK

SIZES OF ARTWORK

Unit of measurement

cm

Width

420

Length

680

PRESERVATION STATUS & RESTORATION

PRESERVATION STATUS

Date

2010

Description

At time of excavation (1988) the geometric black and white mosaic was preserved on almost the whole surface of room 3 whit two extended lacunas in the southern and northern corner of the room and three small lacunas in the central part; in the southern corner of the room the bedding layers of the mosaic were cut in a rectangular segment. The mosaic floor shows evident deformation – the border part of the mosaic laying upon the wall foundations is clearly higher than the central part of the mosaic. At the last survey of the mosaic in 2010 there were documented new small lacunas deriving from detachment of tesserae. The mosaic surface is now protected by geotextile, expanded clay, sand and gravel

RESTORATION

Date

1999

Responsible institution

Medobčinski zavod za varstvo naravne in kulturne dediščine Piran

Management of the work

Marko Stokin

Those who did the work

Dean Verzel

Description

Cleaning and consolidation of the mosaic floor. Cleaning, mortar edging repair of extended lacunas and mortar filling of small lacunas.

PRESERVATION STATUS & RESTORATION (2)

PRESERVATION STATUS

Date

-

Description

-

RESTORATION

Date

2010

Responsible institution

Zavod za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije - Restavratorski center

Those who did the work

Triptih doo

Description

Cleaning and consolidation of the mosaic floor, sampling of tesserae and bedding layers. Cleaning, mortar edging repair of extended lacunas and mortar filling of small lacunas.

LEGAL STATUS AND RESTRICTION

LEGAL STATUS

General indication

property of local authority

Specific indication

Ownership:Municipality of Izola; Manager: University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre (Management agreement 2010)

Address

Municipality of Izola, Sončno nabrežje 8, 6310 Izola; University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre, Garibaldijeva 1, 6000 Koper

DOCUMENTARY & INFORMATIVE SOURCES

IMAGES

pi_ss_002_ICON_-med.jpg

Slovija, Izola, Roman villa of Simonov zaliv, room 3

BIBLIOGRAPHY

STOKIN, MARKO San Simone. Simonov zaliv

p. 59-60