A visual typology of lime mixtures from roman rural villas in the Maltese islands

Abstract

Lime-based materials were extensively used in construction during the Roman period in Malta. A recent analysis by Fort et al. (2023) proposed a typology of these materials using characterisation techniques. Since such analytical techniques are costly and thus inaccessible for small projects, the present study aims to complement and extend the proposed typology solely through visual analysis. This was done by reanalysing the fragments studied by the earlier research from the Żejtun Roman villa and looking at lime mixtures from three areas within the San Pawl Milqi villa. The analysis relied solely on visual analysis, aided by a X2 magnifying lens, and used three Data Collection Forms to systematically describe the lime mixtures and their context. This has resulted in the identification of five classes, 14 types, and 11 subtypes of lime mixtures. This also provided insight into the correlation between type and function. The chronology of the areas studied at the San Pawl Milqi villa was also refined through this analysis, including the identification of two cuts and repairs within the Area Pavimentata. The typology proposed in this study provides a framework to make the study of lime-based materials found in the Maltese islands more accessible. It also highlights some insights that can be gathered through such analysis.