Stručni rad
Interior Decoration Eastern Thermae of Diocletian Palace in Split
Tajma Rismondo
Sažetak
A part of eastern thermae of Diocletian Palace was first excavated during 1971 and 1972 (Fig. 2, A), 1992 when the Roman, Early Mediaeval and Late Medieval historical building phases in the area were defined.
The finds of a prefurnium, caldarium, piscina, lead water-pipe, numerous finds of pottery,glass, mosaics, frescoes, and marble panels as well as carinated stone and marble fragments of architectonic plaster belong to the Roman times. To the north-east of the mentioned position when residential buildings were being adapted, during archaeological protection excavations between April and September 2002, another few rooms were excavated belonging to the same - eastern thermae (plan 2, B), and one of them with a hypocaust (plan 2, B). In the south-western corner of the room situated in the eastern side (plan 2, B,), a pool was excavated with marble panel (plan 2, B), and numerous fragments of pottery, glass, mosaic, tesserae, marble panels, as well as carinated stone fragments belonging to Roman and early medieval periods. In the eastern thermae of Diocletian Palace, after the archaeological excavations done in the 1970s, and after the archaeological excavations done in 2002, the existence of the remains of interior decoration elements, mosaic tesserae and marble panels, were noted, some of the samples in situ as well. As it was an imperial building, the remains of luxurious material such as glass tesserae coated with gold and expensive imported marbles are no surprise. The archaeological excavations of northern part of thermae of Diocletian Palace were followed by new archaeological excavations that completed the existing idea of the area (plans 1 and 2). All the mentioned archaeological finds of the elements of interior decoration fit into the idea of the surrounding sectors that were excavated in the 1970s. Unlike the excavations when marble panels of piscina (cipollino) in situ were excavated, in the course of recent excavations marble fragments belonging to cipollino kind and Egyptian alabaster were excavated next to the marble finds (marmor Claudinum) in situ in the frigidarium pool. The latter two kinds were excavated among the small finds in the newly discovered part of eastern thermae (plan 2, B); they had also been used as building material to prepare the base for putting up marble panels. In the room, which was used as caldarium (plan 2, B), in the rubble under the floor supported by pillae, the remains of gypsum and glass tesserae of mosaic coated with gold, and marble panels were excavated. Based on archaeological excavations it can be supposed that the caldarium floor might have been decorated with marble (cipollino) and alabaster panels, while its walls and vault were decorated with mosaic glass tesserae coated with gold. There are no archaeological finds which would help assume the interior decoration of a building, such as interior decoration of the two-part chamber of frigidarium/apoditerium (plan 2, B), with a piscina with the preserved marble panels (marmor Claudianum and marmor caristium) in situ (plan 2, B 1), and with the base with impressed marble fragments (plan 2, B).
Ključne riječi
Diocletian Palace; eastern thermae; mosaics; marble panelling; cipollino (marmor caristium); black and white granite (marmor Claudianum); alabaster (lapis Onyx)
Hrčak ID:
2524
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.12.2005.
Posjeta: 5.491 *