Mosaic floor of the Roman villa of Simonov zaliv / San Simone, room 1 (portico)

M

C

IT

681

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CIDM

0

Definition

mosaic floor

Identification

fragment

Name/Dedication

mosaic floor of the Roman villa of Simonov zaliv / San Simone, room 1 (portico)

Position

South-eastern part of room 1

Description

Parts of the tessellatum are preserved only in the south-eastern part of room 1 (a 4,1 m wide and over 66 m long portico), which was only partially excavated and then re-covered, being outside the area of the archaeological park of Simonov zaliv (on the border of the orchard of house Tomažičeva ulica 11). In the north-western part of the very long portico, situated inside the archaeological park, the mosaic decoration was not conserved and there it remained only the statumen layer.

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 decorative solution consisting of a monochrome mosaic carpet bordered by a single stripe, is widely diffused, finding use in rooms of poor functional significance as well as in representative contexts (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. 71). The use of the single bordering band is typical of the period of the late republican period, presenting at this stage a more irregular texture; in the age of Caesar and Augustus the double bordering band begins to replace the single, remaining in use until to the fourth century AD (MORRICONE MATINI M. L. 1973, s.v. Mosaico. – Enciclopedia dell’arte antica classica e orientale. Supplemento. Roma, p. 504). In the transition period between the late republican and early imperial era both types of bordering band appear indistinctly, also within the same contexts (RINALDI 2007, 70) – that is also the case of the Roman villa of Simonov zaliv / San Simone where both decorative solutions are adopted.

Country

Slovenija

City

Izola

Locality

Simonov zaliv

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

Notes

The conserved part of the mosaic floor of room 1 was excavated outside the area of the archaeological park of Simonov zaliv, on the border of the orchard of house Tomažičeva ulica 11. After excavation the mosaic was re-covered. In the north-western part of the very long portico, situated inside the archaeological park, the mosaic decoration was not conserved and there it remained only the statumen layer.

yes

excavation

Denomination of archaeological site

Izola - Arheološko najdišče Simonov zaliv

Management of the work

Medobčinski zavod za varstvo naravne in kulturne dediščine Piran

Those who did the work

Langton, Brona

Date

1991

Notes

The remains of the tessellatum of room 1 were detected during a limited excavation (sonda 4) conducted in 1991 by Brona Langton and Robert Ellis for the Medobčinski zavod za varstvo naravne in kulturne dediščine Piran outside the area of the archaeological park of Simonov zaliv, on the border of the orchard of house Tomažičeva ulica 11. The mosaic lays at only 0,32-0,36 m above sea level. In a later phase a tile wall structure (without foundations) was placed on the mosaic attesting the re-use / space redistribution of the portico for other purposes.

Stratigraphic unite 417

Century

1.

From

25

ca.

To

49

Validity

ante

bibliography

STOKIN, MARKO San Simone. Simonov zaliv

p. 98

Name

Italic itinerant workers

Personal data/chronology

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

Grounds of basing the dates

analisi storica

Notes

Samples from statumen with large pebbles (SZO 62, 15.6.2011, S. Kramar, M. Kikelj, M. Macchiarola) and up to 2 cm thick rudus (SZO 61, 15.6.2011, S. Kramar, M. Kikelj, M. Macchiarola) have been taken in the northern area of room 1 where the tessellatum surface is not preserved; samples were taken from section of test excavation completed by the Austrian Archaeological Institute (S. Groh, 2009-2011). Analyses are yet not completed. As documented by excavation photos, the bedding layer is characterized by cocciopesto aggregates. On most of the surface of room 1 it was conserved only the statumen of the mosaic, made of large pebbles.

Material

limestone

Color

white, pink, green, grey, dark grey, black

Typology

natural

Notes

Approx. 10 mm each side

Denomination

mosaic work

Method

diretto

Texture

The white carpet is composed of obliquely set tesserae, the framing band consists of tesserae set in straight rows (three courses of black bordered by two rows of white tesserae).

Unit of measurement

cm

Width

146

Length

226

Date

1991

Reference to the part

South-eastern part of room 1

Description

The mosaic floor is well preserved in the northern section (along the inner wall of the portico) of the south-eastern part of room 1, in the adjacent southern section there is a wide tessellatum lacuna showing the cocciopesto mortar bedding layer.

Date

-

Description

-

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

STOKIN, MARKO San Simone. Simonov zaliv

p. 55-57

ELLIS, ROBERT Izola, Simonov zaliv