A new archaeometric study has identified the origins of marble objects from the early Byzantine villages of Porphyreon and Chhim in present-day Lebanon. Researchers conducted analyses on 66 artefacts, including liturgical furnishings, architectural elements, and household items.
“The results indicate that the marbles came mainly from the Prokonnesos and Dokimeion quarries in Turkey,” the authors wrote. A smaller number of objects were attributed to marble from Lesbos, Greece.
The study noted that “a distinct preference for specific marbles was observed in the production of particular object types and forms, such as chancel screens, table tops and mortars.” According to the authors, church liturgical elements like chancel posts and screens were exclusively produced from Prokonnesian marble, consistent with regional patterns.
“The raw material used in the production of the discussed objects are predominantly marble from Prokonnesos and Dokimeion,” the study stated. The researchers found that wall veneers in Porphyreon were mostly Prokonnesian, but some darker tiles likely originated from Lesbos or Dokimeion, suggesting the reuse of Roman-era materials.
The authors reported that “elements of the same set were created by a combination of different raw materials,” referring to the Chhim church altar and supporting columns made from both Prokonnesian and Dokimeian marble.
The analysis included stable isotope and petrographic studies. “All the δ13C and δ18O values and most of the 87Sr/86Sr values (0.7081–0.7082) are consistent” with Dokimeion marble, the authors wrote.
Finds of mortars and table tops in non-sacral contexts confirmed marble’s use beyond ecclesiastical settings. The authors concluded, “our case study reflects a more complex pattern in which the circulation of marble was not solely linked to the construction and use of churches”.
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