The Roman Amphiteatre in Mérida, Spain: Augustan or Flavian? Radiocarbon Dating Results on Mortar Carbonate

Alf Lindroos; Jan Heinemeier; Åsa Ringbom; Thomas Schroeder Daugbjerg; Irka Hajdas

doi:10.2478/geochr-2020-0028

The Roman Amphiteatre in Mérida, Spain: Augustan or Flavian? Radiocarbon Dating Results on Mortar Carbonate

Alf Lindroos^*, Jan Heinemeier, Åsa Ringbom, Thomas Schroeder Daugbjerg, Irka Hajdas

^*Corresponding author for this work

Culture, History and Philosophy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

Abstract Four lime mortar samples from the Mérida amphitheatre in Spain were dated in 2001 and re-dated in 2019 with refined dating methods and focus on carbon dioxide that was released in late CO2 fractions when dissolved in phosphoric acid. The samples were difficult to date because they contained highly soluble, young carbonate contamination that dominated the carbon dioxide from the early stages of the reaction with the acid in the hydrolysis process. They were also rather hydraulic and rich in magnesium, which could have caused delayed hardening. However, there was very little dead carbon contamination so that late carbon dioxide fraction gave uniform 14C ages, pointing to a late 1st c. AD Flavian, or later age of the amphitheatre.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	187-195
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geochronometria
Volume	47
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2478/geochr-2020-0028
Publication status	Published - 30 Sept 2020
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed
Event	CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “METHODS OF ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY” JUNE 5-7TH, 2019, TARNOWSKIE GORY, POLAND: CONFERENCE “METHODS OF ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY” JUNE 5-7TH, 2019, TARNOWSKIE GORY, POLAND - Tarnowskie Gory, Poland Duration: 5 Jun 2020 → 7 Jun 2020

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10.2478/geochr-2020-0028Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

[18971695 - Geochronometria] The Roman amphitheatre in Mérida, Spain ˗Augustan or Flavian_ Radiocarbon dating results on mortar carbonateFinal published version, 2.53 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe202201148090

Cite this

@article{34cb5edb8a574f019d25699a2bdc5597,

title = "The Roman Amphiteatre in M{\'e}rida, Spain: Augustan or Flavian? Radiocarbon Dating Results on Mortar Carbonate",

abstract = "Abstract Four lime mortar samples from the M{\'e}rida amphitheatre in Spain were dated in 2001 and re-dated in 2019 with refined dating methods and focus on carbon dioxide that was released in late CO2 fractions when dissolved in phosphoric acid. The samples were difficult to date because they contained highly soluble, young carbonate contamination that dominated the carbon dioxide from the early stages of the reaction with the acid in the hydrolysis process. They were also rather hydraulic and rich in magnesium, which could have caused delayed hardening. However, there was very little dead carbon contamination so that late carbon dioxide fraction gave uniform 14C ages, pointing to a late 1st c. AD Flavian, or later age of the amphitheatre.",

keywords = "Mortar dating, hydraulic mortar, sequential dissolution, CO2 fractions",

author = "Alf Lindroos and Jan Heinemeier and {\AA}sa Ringbom and {Schroeder Daugbjerg}, Thomas and Irka Hajdas",

year = "2020",

month = sep,

day = "30",

doi = "10.2478/geochr-2020-0028",

language = "English",

volume = "47",

pages = "187--195",

journal = "Geochronometria",

issn = "1897-1695",

publisher = "Sciendo",

note = "CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “METHODS OF ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY” JUNE 5-7TH, 2019, TARNOWSKIE GORY, POLAND ; Conference date: 05-06-2020 Through 07-06-2020",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - The Roman Amphiteatre in Mérida, Spain

T2 - CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS OF THE 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “METHODS OF ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY” JUNE 5-7TH, 2019, TARNOWSKIE GORY, POLAND

AU - Lindroos, Alf

AU - Heinemeier, Jan

AU - Ringbom, Åsa

AU - Schroeder Daugbjerg, Thomas

AU - Hajdas, Irka

PY - 2020/9/30

Y1 - 2020/9/30

N2 - Abstract Four lime mortar samples from the Mérida amphitheatre in Spain were dated in 2001 and re-dated in 2019 with refined dating methods and focus on carbon dioxide that was released in late CO2 fractions when dissolved in phosphoric acid. The samples were difficult to date because they contained highly soluble, young carbonate contamination that dominated the carbon dioxide from the early stages of the reaction with the acid in the hydrolysis process. They were also rather hydraulic and rich in magnesium, which could have caused delayed hardening. However, there was very little dead carbon contamination so that late carbon dioxide fraction gave uniform 14C ages, pointing to a late 1st c. AD Flavian, or later age of the amphitheatre.

AB - Abstract Four lime mortar samples from the Mérida amphitheatre in Spain were dated in 2001 and re-dated in 2019 with refined dating methods and focus on carbon dioxide that was released in late CO2 fractions when dissolved in phosphoric acid. The samples were difficult to date because they contained highly soluble, young carbonate contamination that dominated the carbon dioxide from the early stages of the reaction with the acid in the hydrolysis process. They were also rather hydraulic and rich in magnesium, which could have caused delayed hardening. However, there was very little dead carbon contamination so that late carbon dioxide fraction gave uniform 14C ages, pointing to a late 1st c. AD Flavian, or later age of the amphitheatre.

KW - Mortar dating, hydraulic mortar, sequential dissolution, CO2 fractions

U2 - 10.2478/geochr-2020-0028

DO - 10.2478/geochr-2020-0028

M3 - Article

SN - 1897-1695

VL - 47

SP - 187

EP - 195

JO - Geochronometria

JF - Geochronometria

Y2 - 5 June 2020 through 7 June 2020

ER -