A Stone Step Found Presumaby From Roman Period

[Victoria]

Hi!

 

I am new here and I am not sure if anyone can help me with this. When digging for water line at Pula Croatia we have found a stone step or ledge and underground walls as well as some other things. I was wandering if anyone can help me in determining what this stone was realy used for. The picture of a stone step can be wieved at Webpage of a stone

 

Any information is welcome.

 

Victoria

[Primus Pilus]

First off... what type of stone is it. It has the appearance of marble but its definately hard to tell in a photograph?

[Victoria]

I would say it is stone and not marble. It is so white as I used a hard brush and water to wash it off as it was very dirty. I think it was cut from a block of big stone. Islands of Brioni across the channel awere famous for its stone mines. It cound have come from there as the second fortress is still standing there today.

[Demson]

Perhaps it was used for the rampart/archers cover of the walls.

 

I don't know anything about Roman engineering though. You might want to try to contact a university specialised in archeology with it.

[Spurius]

Well, it does look like a form that was dressed to make it look more like stone, at least to my non-expert opinion.

 

I'm out of ideas if the holes are for stakes or for pipes in a later period.

 

Even if we can't come up with any useful suggestions, I hope you will inform us if you do find anything out.

[Victoria]

Perhaps it was used for the rampart/archers cover of the walls.

 

I don't know anything about Roman engineering though. You might want to try to contact a university specialised in archeology with it.

I don't want any and all of the Croatian acheologists to be digging up half or the whole of my backyard if it turns out it is nothing. I would rather contact some foreign expert on Roman achitecture and ask his oppinion for what this was used for and if it turns out it is indeed from the Roman period then I would take credit for the discovery

 

So please if you know a person/expert or Univercity specialised in this, the data/emails, would be most welcome.

 

Thanks!

[Favonius Cornelius]

No advice other than to ask you to bring that piece inside and shelter it from any more weather and corrosion until an ID can be made.

[Onasander]

Hmmm, bury it under some dirt, since you already took the pictures.

 

Your land has been surveyed a few times over the years, I'm guessing public domain.

 

Take a copy of a survey, and a laser level. Measure the irregularities of your land, map it out on a grid. This will take a couple weekends.

 

Do not dig anything else, your piece of slab is worthless moneywise, despite it's age.

 

Your need for a home/backyard can be accomidated. A local university will likely want to do a exploritory 1 meter square or two, it's very surgical, limiting the damage done. The can do it in a irregular pattern advoiding important landscaping, or, if the site proves important enough, offer to compensate you for it's removal.

 

Some important things to look for in your community..... do any of the olf buildings have similar stone incorporated into them... is the stone similarly shaped or weather? Does your property support agricultur, do your neighbors? Is your land in a defensible position.... on a cliff or hill, near a crossing of rivers or streams, or near the border of a ancient tribe/cultural group?

 

If a castle is near by, it means a garbage dump is too. Is the soil near streams eroding, exposing artifacts?

[Felix Marcellus]

It looks like an aileron from an old Bulgarian Hang Glider. No doubt used in bombing runs over Byzantine formations. First introduced into the Bulgarian order of battle in the late 4th century and... let me stop now. I couldn't resist.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, might I propose we do a little brainstorming. It will likely result in nothing, but it might be interesting.

 

First, to find out what it might be let's think of everything we can think of that stone was used for in the 5th century.

 

Fortresses, steps, battlements, various siege machines. What else? I don't know.

 

Next the dimensions.

 

It's almost 5 feet across. Is that too long for a step? I've only been to two fortresses in my life. Chateau D'Angers in France and the Fort in St. Augustine Florida. While the St. Augustine Fort had some wide steps inside (don't know if they were the original) the much older Chateau Angers I don't recall having such wide steps. Anyone got experience in that?

 

Are we really sure this stone is from the 5th century.

 

It appears to have been damaged in a fall. Perhaps it was meant to be the over hang of a door. I can't imagine a step having holes in it. At least not holes intended to put nails or stakes through. Stone steps don't tend to be nailed down from what I've seen. I could be wrong.

 

OK, anybody else wanna brainstorm some?

[Primus Pilus]

Agreed, it has the looks of being the top of a pillar or a ledge... perhaps a mantle. Though this is of course complete uneducated and idle speculation.

[Onasander]

I thought at first it was part of a floor, the three holes remind me of repair work I saw in a bathroom for piping... a monestary then, perhaps? But, it side also has a raised, rectangular strip that appeared to hold it into place to something else.... it would make a really heavy ledge, and given the lack of staining or sloping, I doubt it was used for pouring hot water or oil through.