Marmo e scultura a Leptis Magna: un’analisi alla luce di nuovi dati archeometrici

The excavations at the site of Lepcis Magna have yielded a remarkable number of sculptures, which make it as a whole one of the most representative samples from North Africa. This paper presents the results of an archaeometric analysis on the provenance of the white marble conducted on a selection of 36 statues kept in Lepcis Magna: 31 in the Old Museum, now used as storerooms, and 5 on display in the Museum. The most surprising data detected by this archaeometric study is that the majority of the sculptures is of Luna marble, for a total of 12 statues corresponding to 34%. The archaeometric analysis, whose specimens sample out the heterogeneous character of the data (by provenance, typology, usages and chronology), provides the opportunity to combine observations about sculptural typology, style, and archaeological context of provenance, with those on identification and origin of the marbles; the aim of such exercise is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the sculptural artefacts of Lepcis, from their execution to the identification of their workshops, and place of production.