Wood analyses helped to determine the location and approximate construction period of the Roman bridge over the Drava River in ancient Poetovio (Ptuj, Slovenia)

Gaspari, Andrej (author), Čufar, Katarina (author), Merela, Maks (author)

We present the results of a dendrochronological study and radiocarbon dating of the wooden piles of the bridge over the Drava River in Ptuj. The piles, together with stone elements (a fragment of an imperial building inscription and parts of the architectural decoration) were retrieved from the riverbed in 1913 and are now in the Regional Museum Ptuj - Ormož. Using dendrochronology, radiocarbon dating of carefully selected annual rings in the wood and calibration with the wiggle-matching method, the date of the last (outermost) annual ring on the pile was determined to be 161 ± 27 cal AD (1σ) or 160 ± 32 cal AD (2σ). Since the pile contained no sapwood, the dating approximately agrees with the date of the building inscription on the stone slab, which attributes the commission for the reconstruction or construction of the bridge to Emperor Hadrian in the last years of his reign (117-138 AD). The dating of the wood has thus confirmed that the remains examined do indeed belong to a Roman bridge, probably built or renovated during the reconstruction of the road network in the area of the colony of Poetovio under Hadrian or one of his successorsPredstavljamo rezultate dendrokronološke raziskave in radiokarbonske datacije lesenih pilotov mostu čez Dravo na Ptuju. Piloti so bili skupaj s kamnitimi elementi (odlomek cesarskega gradbenega napisa in kamniti deli arhitekturnega okrasa) leta 1913 dvignjeni z rečnega dna in jih danes hrani Pokrajinski muzej Ptuj - Ormož. S pomočjo dendrokronologije, radiokarbonskega datiranja natančno izbranih branik lesa in kalibracije z metodo wiggle-matching, je bil na raziskanem pilotu brez ohranjene beljave določen datum zadnje branike 161 ± 27 kal. n. št. (1σ) ali 160 ± 32 kal. n. št. (2σ). Upoštevaje manjkajočo beljavo, datacija okvirno sovpada s časovno opredelitvijo rekonstruiranega gradbenega napisa s kamnite plošče, ki naročilo obnove oziroma novogradnje mostu pripisuje cesarju Hadrijanu v zadnjih letih njegove vladavine (117-138 n. št.) al. Datacija lesa je tako potrdila, da raziskani ostanki res pripadajo rimskemu mostu, domnevno postavljenem oziroma obnovljenem ob prenovi cestnega omrežja na območju kolonije Poetovio pod cesarjem Hadrijanom ali enim od njegovih naslednikov

• Language: English
• Keywords: Roman bridge, Slovenija, archaeological wood, oak, dendrochronology, radiocarbon dating, wiggle-matching
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 71-85
• Numbering: Let. 70, št. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134392
• UDC: 630*814.7:630*812.7:630*174.7Larix decidua
• ISSN on article: 0024-1067
• DOI: 10.26614/les-wood.2021.v70n02a06
• COBISS.SI-ID: 91769347
• Publication date in RUL: 13.01.2022

GASPARI, Andrej, ČUFAR, Katarina and MERELA, Maks, 2021, Wood analyses helped to determine the location and approximate construction period of the Roman bridge over the Drava River in ancient Poetovio (Ptuj, Slovenia). Les [online]. 2021. Vol. 70, no. 2, p. 71–85. [Accessed 3 April 2025]. DOI 10.26614/les-wood.2021.v70n02a06. Retrieved from: http://www.les-wood.si/index.php/leswood/article/view/135

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Les
• Shortened title: Les
• Publisher: Zveza društev inženirjev in tehnikov gozdarstva in lesarstva Slovenije, Zveza društev inženirjev in tehnikov gozdarstva in lesarstva Slovenije, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za lesarstvo, Založba Univerze, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za lesarstvo, Založba Univerze
• ISSN: 0024-1067
• COBISS.SI-ID: 13940224

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Analiza lesa je potrdila lokacijo in okvirno obdobje postavitve rimskega mostu čez reko Dravo v antičnem Poetoviju (Ptuj v Sloveniji)
• Keywords: rimski most, Poetovio, Ptuj, arheološki les, hrast, Quercus sp., dendrokronologija, radiokarbonsko datiranje

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency