Ancient construction sites in Hierapolis in Phrygia. New data on strategies, materials and techniques

As part of the marmora Phrygiae Project, a specific line of enquiry was the reconstruction of the technical and socioeconomic aspects of the building sites of Hierapolis. an integrated approach, encompassing architectural, art-historical and archaeometric aspects, was applied to the public monuments, to highlight the procedures employed in the construction process, the strategy for selection and procurement of the materials, the management of the workforce, and the specific roles of figures operating in the construction. This objective was achieved thanks to the research into the city’s ancient architecture carried out in the last decade, and the recent archaeometric investigations aimed at characterising the marbles and mortars. The paper presents some of the results of this research into the “archaeology of construction”, focusing on the supply and management of building materials. Their use in the imperial era building sites, restoration and reuse, assembly systems and revetment techniques are discussed.