Slovenija, Izola, Roman villa of Simonov zaliv, room 1
OBJECT
OBJECT
Definition
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mosaic floor
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Identification
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fragment
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Name/Dedication
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mosaic floor of the Roman villa of Simonov zaliv / San Simone, room 1 (portico)
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Position
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South-eastern part of room 1
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Description
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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.
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SUBJECT
SUBJECT
Identification
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Roman villa of Simonov zaliv / San Simone, Izola / Isola (Slovenia), geometric black and white floor mosaic decoration
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Iconographic description
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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.
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GEOGRAPHICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LOCATION
SPECIFIC LOCATION
Typology
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Roman villa
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Qualification
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villa maritima
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Denomination
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Izola - Arheološko najdišče Simonov zaliv
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Date
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final quarter of the 1. century B.C. – late 4. century A.D.
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Address
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Tomažičeva ulica
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Specific location
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Southern part of the villa
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Notes
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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.
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LOCATION AND PROPERTY DATA
Original location
METHOD OF FINDING
Type of finding
INFORMATIONS ON FINDING
Denomination of archaeological site
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Izola - Arheološko najdišče Simonov zaliv
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Management of the work
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Medobčinski zavod za varstvo naravne in kulturne dediščine Piran
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Those who did the work
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Langton, Brona
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Date
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1991
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Notes
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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.
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Inventory number
CHRONOLOGY
GENERAL CHRONOLOGY
SPECIFIC CHRONOLOGY
From
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25
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ca.
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To
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49
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Validity
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ante
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bibliography
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STOKIN, MARKO San Simone. Simonov zaliv
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p. 98
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CULTURAL DEFINITION
AUTHOR
Name
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Italic itinerant workers
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Personal data/chronology
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1. century B.C - 1. century A.C.
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Grounds of basing the dates
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analisi storica
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SUBGRADES
SUBGRADES
Notes
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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.
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TESSERAE
TESSERAE MATERIAL
Material
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limestone
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Color
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white, pink, green, grey, dark grey, black
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Typology
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natural
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Notes
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Approx. 10 mm each side
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TECNIQUE
TECNIQUE
Denomination
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mosaic work
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Method
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diretto
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SURFACE
SURFACE
Texture
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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).
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SIZES OF ARTWORK
SIZES OF ARTWORK
Unit of measurement
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cm
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Width
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146
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Length
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226
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PRESERVATION STATUS & RESTORATION
PRESERVATION STATUS
Date
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1991
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Reference to the part
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South-eastern part of room 1
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Description
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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.
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RESTORATION
LEGAL STATUS AND RESTRICTION
LEGAL STATUS
General indication
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property of local authority
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Specific indication
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Ownership:Municipality of Izola; Manager: University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre (Management agreement 2010)
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Address
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Municipality of Izola, Sončno nabrežje 8, 6310 Izola; University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre, Garibaldijeva 1, 6000 Koper
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DOCUMENTARY & INFORMATIVE SOURCES
IMAGES
Slovenija, Izola, Roman villa of Simonov zaliv, room 1
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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