THE STONE ROOF OF THE THOLOS OF ATHENA PRONAIA IN DELPHI: STRUCTURAL HYPOTHESES STARTING FROM FRAGMENTS OF MARBLE TILES

Abstract

Abstract. This contribution is the first step of a multi-disciplinary research project, aimed at studying the roof of the tholos of Athena Pronaia in Delphi, dating back to the first decades of the 4th century BC. The starting point of this research is the fascination exerted by the tectonic quality of the temple, comprising some complex fragments of marble tiles belonging to the roof of the tholos. Despite the number of studies on this sanctuary, the poor state of preservation and lack of original material did not allow archaeologists to perform concluding research on its original configuration, in particular with reference to the reconstruction of the roof. Aware of the complexity of this topic, this contribution aims at exploring two possibilities, namely, on the one hand, that the fragments of tiles constitute elements supported by a wooden structure, and on the other hand, that they are structural elements of a stone system subjected to compressive stresses. Our contribution intends to serve as food for thought on the need for archaeological studies to be accompanied not only by advanced surveys in the field, aimed at the precise definition of the geometry of the finds, but also by architectural and structural investigations which make it possible to verify the feasibility of the hypothetical reconstructions of the architectural elements aware of the construction techniques used in the past.

Hbim Structural Model to Evaluate Building Evolution and Construction Hypotheses: Preliminary Results

“…In this research, the authors converted the HBIM model of Castel Masegra into a model for structural finite element simulation (BIM-to-FEM). Lastly, the authors in this contribution (Aita et al, 2023), through existing fragments of stone tiles from a temple at Tholos in Delphi, used twodimensional calculation and structural analysis methods to hypothesize the structural typology of the roof that no longer exists, creating a support for the verification of the hypothetical reconstructions deduced by archaeologists.…”