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The present study focuses on the compositional characterization of Roman concrete from Roman buildings for public spectacles, theatre and amphitheatre, from Emerita Augusta, Mérida, Spain. An advanced knowledge of the Roman concrete composition is required to get a reliable restoration and preservation of these ancient monuments. The concrete was studied through mineralogical (petrographic microscope and X ray diffraction) and petrophysical (bulk and real density, open porosity, mercury intrusion porosimetry, compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity) analyses. With this work, it is possible to fill the gap which exists in this field, the characterization of the materials used in the Roman concrete from these two buildings, never previously studied, despite the significance of this archaeological ensemble, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. The obtained results of the studied samples, allowed us to determine the composition of the concrete and to infer the provenance of the aggregates used in it.

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