DOI article:
Biernacki, Andrzej B.; Skoczylas, Janusz: The classification of rock material in juxtaposition with the typology of capitals in Novae
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41865#0201
199
we know from Novae are dated to the 330s. The latest tombstone with a Greek
inscription from Novae should be dated to the same period.7
Similar comparative investigations of the eight Tuscan and morę than forty
Ionic-Roman capitals unearthed in Novae have shown a strikingly parallel chro-
nology of their occurrence. Ali of the Tuscan capitals discovered in Novae so far
are madę of crumbly limestone. Out of these, six were found in the valetudinar-
ium, and the other two were excavated by the Bulgarian expedition to Novae.
Thus, most of the architectural details in the Tuscan order come from the yard of
the valetudinarium, dated to the reign of Trajan, and morę precisely, to the very
end of the lst century AD.8 Other architectural elements and details discovered
in the valetudinarium, including bases and shafts of columns, also prove that the
structure followed the Tuscan order. This conclusion refers not only to the inner
yard, but also to the extemal portico in the western front faęade of the hospital
facing the via praetoria. Considering the fact that the hospital was built by le-
gionaries of the lst Italian legion, it is entirely reasonable that its design should
apply the Tuscan order, which after all was the native order for the Italian Ro-
man legions. Another argument in favor of using it in Novae were the techniąues
of constmction and the available materiał. The relatively simple shapes of the
Tuscan bases and capitals were suitable for the natural characteristics of crum-
bly limestone, which is fairly soft and easy to cut, as well as abundant in the
area of Novae.9 Morę support of this view comes from the Tuscan semi-capital
of a very simple shape, which was also discovered in Novae. Originally it had
been at the top of one of the six Tuscan semi-columns in the faęade of a row of
chambers behind the transverse room in the basilica principiorum in Novae.w
This part of the principia is dated to the times of Trajan.
Forty Ionic-Roman capitals have been discovered in Novae so far. Only five
are madę of crumbly limestone. Their appearance strongly suggests that origi-
nally they decorated a sanctuary of an unidentified Roman deity. This may ex-
plain the fact that the volutes of one Capital have the shapes of snakes or adders.
The biggest Ionic-Roman Capital discovered so far in Novae is also madę of crum-
bly limestone. Found in a secondary layer in the yard of the episcopal basilica, it
was originally a part of the portico in the yard of the forum militare principia.
T. Sarnowski dates the erection of the principia in Novae to the reign of the em-
perors of the Flavian dynasty (AD 69-96), but he specifies the time of the con-
struction of the transverse room in the basilica principiorum as the reign of Tra-
jan (AD 98-117).
A vast majority of the Ionic-Roman capitals from Novae, viz., 35, are madę
of organogenous detrital limestone, warranting the assumption that they were
produced between AD 130 and 233, when the pit in Hotnitsa provided limestone
to Novae, including inscribed pedestals and tombstones madę of this materiał.
The high number of Ionic-Roman capitals in Novae is exceptional among the
camps and cities of the Lower Danubian limes.11 Their style and workmanship
we know from Novae are dated to the 330s. The latest tombstone with a Greek
inscription from Novae should be dated to the same period.7
Similar comparative investigations of the eight Tuscan and morę than forty
Ionic-Roman capitals unearthed in Novae have shown a strikingly parallel chro-
nology of their occurrence. Ali of the Tuscan capitals discovered in Novae so far
are madę of crumbly limestone. Out of these, six were found in the valetudinar-
ium, and the other two were excavated by the Bulgarian expedition to Novae.
Thus, most of the architectural details in the Tuscan order come from the yard of
the valetudinarium, dated to the reign of Trajan, and morę precisely, to the very
end of the lst century AD.8 Other architectural elements and details discovered
in the valetudinarium, including bases and shafts of columns, also prove that the
structure followed the Tuscan order. This conclusion refers not only to the inner
yard, but also to the extemal portico in the western front faęade of the hospital
facing the via praetoria. Considering the fact that the hospital was built by le-
gionaries of the lst Italian legion, it is entirely reasonable that its design should
apply the Tuscan order, which after all was the native order for the Italian Ro-
man legions. Another argument in favor of using it in Novae were the techniąues
of constmction and the available materiał. The relatively simple shapes of the
Tuscan bases and capitals were suitable for the natural characteristics of crum-
bly limestone, which is fairly soft and easy to cut, as well as abundant in the
area of Novae.9 Morę support of this view comes from the Tuscan semi-capital
of a very simple shape, which was also discovered in Novae. Originally it had
been at the top of one of the six Tuscan semi-columns in the faęade of a row of
chambers behind the transverse room in the basilica principiorum in Novae.w
This part of the principia is dated to the times of Trajan.
Forty Ionic-Roman capitals have been discovered in Novae so far. Only five
are madę of crumbly limestone. Their appearance strongly suggests that origi-
nally they decorated a sanctuary of an unidentified Roman deity. This may ex-
plain the fact that the volutes of one Capital have the shapes of snakes or adders.
The biggest Ionic-Roman Capital discovered so far in Novae is also madę of crum-
bly limestone. Found in a secondary layer in the yard of the episcopal basilica, it
was originally a part of the portico in the yard of the forum militare principia.
T. Sarnowski dates the erection of the principia in Novae to the reign of the em-
perors of the Flavian dynasty (AD 69-96), but he specifies the time of the con-
struction of the transverse room in the basilica principiorum as the reign of Tra-
jan (AD 98-117).
A vast majority of the Ionic-Roman capitals from Novae, viz., 35, are madę
of organogenous detrital limestone, warranting the assumption that they were
produced between AD 130 and 233, when the pit in Hotnitsa provided limestone
to Novae, including inscribed pedestals and tombstones madę of this materiał.
The high number of Ionic-Roman capitals in Novae is exceptional among the
camps and cities of the Lower Danubian limes.11 Their style and workmanship