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Excavation

  • Sinagoga
  • Ostia antica
  •  
  • Italy
  • Lazio
  • Rome
  • Rome

Tools

Credits

  • The Italian Database is the result of a collaboration between:

    MIBAC (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Generale per i Beni Archeologici),

    ICCD (Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione) and

    AIAC (Associazione Internazionale di Archeologia Classica).

  • AIAC_logo logo

Summary (English)

  • OSMAP opened several strategic trenches (= ‘T’) in 2005 (T2-7). The goals were four-fold: (1) to reveal the extent of the ancient walls beneath the surface of the soil; (2) to document the masonry techniques used in the construction of these walls, where available; (3) to compare and contrast these techniques with the walls of the extent structure above; and (4) to expose the foundation levels of the walls. This work was undertaken in accordance with modern stratigraphic methods; and records were kept, including photographs, fields drawings, and elevations. Ceramic and numismatic finds were analyzed in 2006.

    T2 (IV.17.1.6) was located in the southeast corner of the site and was designed to explore the remains of a reticulate wall on the east external wall of room 10, never included in any earlier site plan. Excavation revealed that this wall was not bonded to the exterior wall of room 10 but that room 6 was a part of the building complex at one point in time. T6 revealed an area of ancient stratigraphy in three distinct phases. The most recent was a layer of collapsed roof tiles (approx. 2.055 m ASL). Underneath this collapse, the remains of a cocciopesto surface were discovered (approx. 1.875 m ASL), contiguous with the southern wall of room 6. Preliminary ceramic analysis suggests that the material between the collapse and the surface dates to fifth or sixth century C.E. The cocciopesto surface was left intact except for a probe executed in the southwest corner. It revealed the foundation stones of the south wall and the remains of a water basin at one time set against the east wall.

    T4 (IV.17.1.6), T5 (IV. 17.1.5), and T7 (IV.17.1.14), were excavated down to the foundations of the walls. T4-T5 were positioned in the eastern half of building 1 in rooms 5 and 6. T7 was positioned in the central hall of the synagogue (room 14). The results have provided new information about the construction of the present building. The poured concrete foundation of the wall in T4 extends to a depth of 0.023 m ASL whereas the concrete foundation of the wall in T7 extends to a depth of 0.46 m ASL. Distinctions in composition, inclusions, color, and profile suggest that the foundations of room 10 and room 14 may have been constructed at two different times.

    T6 was positioned to the west of building 1, directly north of building 2. It was designed to explore data gathered during a recent geophysical survey, conducted by the DAI-Rome in 2003-04, which had identified subsurface walls in this area. Excavation revealed that no subsurface walls exist. The only traces of a feature were located at the lowest levels of T6, where the remains of a compact surface were discovered (approx. 0.65 m ASL). This surface suggests some habitation or occupation here during the period antedating the construction of the via Severiana and that ground level was raised significantly in this area (+ 1.793 m) prior to the construction of the road.

  • Douglas Boin 
  • Susan Gelb - University of Texas at Austin 
  • Brent Nongbri 
  • L. Michael White - University of Texas and Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins 

Director

Team

  • Amanda Krauss
  • Grant Nelsesteun
  • Jess Miner
  • Joshua Burns
  • Kali Grable
  • Keith Kitchen
  • Sarah Scullen
  • Daniela Williams - Università degli Studi Roma Tre
  • Letizia Ceccarelli - University of Cambridge
  • Marzia Di Mento - L.A.T.E.R.E.S. ARC. TER

Research Body

  • The University of Texas at Austin (Ostia Synagogue Masonry Analysis Project, OSMAP)

Funding Body

  • The Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins at the University of Texas at Austin

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