Resumen de Characterization and distribution of marble from Cap de Garde and Mt. Filfila, Algeria
J.J. Herrmann, Donato Attanasio, Robert H. Tykot, Annewies Van Den Hoek
Isotopic testing of samples from the quarries of white marbles on the coast in eastern Algeria makes it possible to give a preliminary characterization of the Filfila quarries and to separate them isotopically from the nearby quarries of Cap de Garde. Inspection and isotopic testing of artifacts from museums and sites in Algeria and elsewhere make it clear that architectural decoration was produced in marble from both quarries and was exported throughout the central Mediterranean, reaching Tunisia, western Libya, and central Italy. The most widespread product seems to have been vividly marked column shafts, primarily from Cap de Garde but also from Filfila. Other forms of architectural decoration, including capitals and plaques of streaked marble, were widely distributed as well. An early and unusual acanthus pillar in Cap de Garde or Filfila marble is carved in a rich Hellenistic style. In the 3rd century AD, capitals made of plain white marble from the two quarries closely follow designs seen in central Italy
