1. EL PROBLEMA
2.4. Marco conceptual
Key: bc_cr_bpA_frm (form)
Description: The existence of a burial chamber remains an uncertainty. It might be possible that the podium had some cavity or that the remains were stored within the tambour (Schwarz 2002, 25).
77 Interpretation: In general, the room that was used for this function does not exceed the needed size (Schwarz 2002, 26). Therefore, it could well have been hidden in an unknown part of the podium, or was placed in the tambour but later removed. Various references could provide information about the chamber. On the one hand, there is a hole in the center of the podium. This hole is described in only one publication, by Leoni and Staderini, who considered it an access to the grave chamber (Leoni and Staderini 1907, 163). However, the pit is not large enough to serve as an entrance, but a light or ventilation shaft might be still a reasonable argument. Nevertheless, some conflicts occur, assuming that the tambour was once filled with earth. The earth would have been washed completely into the chamber, which would indicate another function. The hole could have served as a water drainage outlet. A water drainage system would make a chamber in the center of the podium unlikely. Furthermore, it is possible that the hole in the center of the podium was constructed at a later time, perhaps to hold wooden beams.
With a print (fig. 35) of the monument, Ferdinand Keller (1874) indicates another opportunity. This illustration clearly shows a vaulted entrance-like opening at the right side of the podium. Nowadays, this part is almost covered by rising terrain. However, it seems peculiar that this opening, drawn by Keller, and the opening on the top of the podium never drew the attention of other scholars. In contrast to other archaeological features, the issue of a burial chamber will only have a small impact on the outer appearance (Hesberg 1992, 15) and can therefore be downgraded in priority.
Figure 35: Historical print of the Via Appia and monument 434 by Ferdinand Keller from the end of the 19th
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3.5 Conclusion of the case study
In conclusion, the architecture of Roman funerary buildings is diverse. Furthermore, comparisons with similar structures might help one to recover the original appearance of individual aspects. Moreover, they are able to determine the rough shape of the research. Historical illustrations can also be a powerful tool. However, they need to be in a good condition and should be considered with caution. Literature is, in most cases, the author’s
own description and interpretation of the local evidence and can be one of the most powerful pieces of evidence since interpretation are already done.
In total, many aspects of the monument could be recovered. The best way to do this is to divide it into a basic geometrical shape and assign each of the parts individual properties with corresponding attributes, such as building technique, material, form and dimension. As headline objects, the podium, tambour, burial chamber, filling and roof were chosen. Further segmentation is possible regarding the building phase and alternative. The alternative is always present if the actual evidence allows at least two values for the same property.
Figure 36: Drawing of monument 434 from the left and top perspectives. Orange indicates the actual remains, while black and grey are possible reconstructions. More detailed plans can be seen in Plates 8, 9 and 10 (Brunke 2017).
A comparison of one’s own reconstruction (fig. 36) with those of another researcher reveals similarities, but also differences. The previous sections of this case study provide as much information and insight as possible to facilitate an interpretation. Therefore, we have a podium of about 12 x 12 x 2.25 m with a round cylinder on top of it. The cylinder has an outer diameter of about 9 m and a height of 3 m. As main materials, namely reddish tuff and some kind of mortar, were used for opus caementicium. The lower layers also
79 include leucitite. The outer casing was most probably travertine or peperino blocks17 while on the inside of the tambour there were tuff blocks in opus reticulatum style. There were definitely decorations but they cannot be restored in detail due to missing evidence. The same is true of the roof and filling. All in all, it is possible to reconstruct some of the structures of the original Roman tomb. Nevertheless, some parts may be quite speculative due to incomplete data. Higher resolution images and other illustrations can be found in the electronic repository. Following, the next chapter will describe the application of the methods elaborated in chapter 2 on top of the data chapter 3.
17Supplement: Recent measurements have shown that many opus quadratum blocks along the Via
Appia have a height of 1 or 2 feet. It is very likely that the other dimensions are also based on the unit of feet and might have to be adapted slightly.
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