Research Project

The Roman Brick Stamps from Trier

Interdisciplinary Research on the Production of Building Ceramics

Late antique stamped brick in wall bond. New find from the Trier imperial baths © GDKE

Brick stamps of the first half of the fourth century from Trier. They identify major private producersone (Steiner 1917/18; Kann 1985; Binsfeld 2009).

Summary

Brick stamps are the most common evidence of markings on ancient building materials. With the Roman conquest, the custom of stamping also came to the provinces north of the Alps. So far, at least 4,000 Roman brick stamps have been found in Trier, representing one of the most extensive inventories from the provinces of the Roman Empire. Most of the bricks date to Late Antiquity, when the city was developed into an imperial residence. The Trier brick stamps will be examined in an interdisciplinary project using methods from both science and the humanities.

In Roman times, Trier (Augusta Treverorum or Treveris) was one of the important metropolises of the northern Roman provinces. As a Roman colony and the official residence of a financial procurator, the city was developed from the first century onwards. In the fourth century, when several emperors resided here for longer periods, there was a large-scale structural transformation. For the period up to the end of the third century, the focus is on questions of the use of military brick material and the identification of government offices and official residences. The organisation and structure of brick production in Late Antiquity, when it was presumably taken over by a few large private producers, requires clarification.

Research objective

The main aim of the project is the comprehensive investigation of brick production as an important economic sector for the expansion of the ancient metropolis of Trier. In addition, based on the evaluation of the spatial distribution of the stamped bricks, a better understanding of the structural genesis of Roman Trier is aimed for. This includes the identification of previously unknown state and public building projects. For the production of bricks in Late Antiquity, a quantification of production, transport and construction services will be carried out.

Methodology

The project is interdisciplinary in order to be able to answer the questions using a broad methodological spectrum.

Archaeology and epigraphy: The stamps will be sorted and classified according to epigraphic criteria. For further analysis, it is important to take the find contexts into account. This gives clues to the chronology of the stamps as well as the interpretation of the buildings or the identification of building phases.

Archaeometry: Petrographic and chemical analyses are to be carried out in order to gain information on production techniques and the raw materials used. On the basis of these results, workshops and producers can be identified and the results obtained from the evaluation of the stamps can be verified and expanded.

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Contact

: PD Dr. Thomas Schmidts
: +49 6131 8885-322
: Kontakt

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