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The aim of this research is to assign the provenance of marble samples uncovered from the extra-mural Byzantine Church of Udhruh (Augustopolis), south Jordan. The church is a three-nave basilica that most probably was built in the fifth century CE. In later expansion phases, it was remodeled by the addition of two side chapels and several rooms. The research investigated the physical, mineralogical, and isotopic properties of twenty-four marble samples of different functions using naked eyes, lenses, and multiple analytical techniques including optical microscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the architectural elements were made of the gray calcitic Proconnesus-1 marble (Marmara, Turkey); while the four fonts or basins were carved out of the beige dolomitic Thasos-3 marble (Thasos Island, Cape Vathy, Greece); and the small squared column of unknown function was carved out of the fine-grained white calcitic Penteli marble (Mount Pentelikon, Attica, Greece). The results indicate that the most popular supply of the ecclesial marble to the south (and north) Jordan during the Byzantine period was the gray Proconnesus-1. The use of white Penteli and Thasos-3 marbles were limited to ritual elements.

Around 16 B.C. a fortress with an area of more than 42 hectares was built on the ice pushed ridge of Nijmegen (The Netherlands). This Augustan camp (Fig. 1) was surrounded by two fossae and a Holzerdemauer. For the total of 5200 metres of ditches of this camp around 31.000 m³ soil was dug out and transported and for the construction of the 2500 metres of ramparts together with the 88 towers and 4 monumental gates, a volume of more than 2300 m³ of selected timber was needed. For the two legions that were possibly based here, a job of only a few weeks; but one with an important psychological effect. In the Rhine zone, a few large, more or less permanent camps had been constructed in the second decade B.C.. The men who were based here had until then either lived in familiar surroundings or in temporary marching camps. Now they built a permanent camp at a strategically superb location in an unknown environment.

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