Amphipolis: 25 architectural members return to the ancient precincts of the Kasta Tomb after 21 centuries
25 of the
375 marble members have been identified and returned to their original position
- Work to fix and restore the tomb continues
Source (in Greek): Proto Thema, 02.11.2023. All images from the original article.
After 21
centuries, 25 scattered marble members returned to their original position in
the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis, at the time when the didactic restoration of part
of the ancient enclosure of the monument is being completed by the Ancient
Monuments Restoration Directorate of the Ministry of Culture, as part of the
project of stabilising and restoring the monument.
The process
of identification and attribution was based on the approved architectural study
of the architect Michalis Lefantzis. In total, since 2019, 375 marble members
have been gathered, grouped and arranged in the west of the Tomb, arranged in
groups according to the type and structure to which they belonged in ancient
masonry.
The
Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni stated: "These 25 architectural members
are returning to their original position after 21 centuries, having been moved,
at times, kilometers away from the monument, bearing the wear and tear of time,
but also damage to its surfaces, from human interventions, due to the
successive changes of use. To preserve their authenticity, the scattered marble
members were placed in their identification positions as they are, without
additions, so that they always bear witness to their centuries-old
history."
How the
architectural documentation was done
In order to
assign the members to the place where they belonged, an architectural
documentation was made of the scattered material and the revetment, which
indicated that the highest member heights belong to the southern part of the
enclosure, near the Burial Monument. Also, a key performance parameter, was the
change in the direction of the pegs and lever holes, which indicated the
opposite direction of placement of the members of the enclosure, by at least
two different workshops, during its construction.
From the
study, it emerged that the point where the members were assigned, in the
southern part of the enclosure and 22 m. west of the Burial Monument, resulted
in the two opposite, mutually, placement directions, during construction.
The majority of the marble members are in good structural condition, except for two:
A post and
base with broken sections, which did not require filling to fit.
To support
the marble members, artificial stone fillings were made in the broken missing
masses of the stone plinths of the ancient revetment, and the mortises and
grooves of the ancient joints were reused.
In the
execution of the project, according to the Ministry of Culture, the assistance
of 6 highly experienced marble craftsmen, who came from the South Slope of the
Acropolis of Athens to Amphipolis for its timely completion, also played a
decisive role.
As part of
this project, the Department of Restoration of Ancient Monuments continues the
work of fixing and restoring the Tomb and the outer shell of Room 1.
No comments:
Post a Comment