Resumen de The Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace, Greece: an extended marble provenance study

Y. Maniatis, D. Tambakopoulos, E. Dotsika, Bonna Daix Wescoat, D. Matsas

• The Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace rose to prominence in the second half of the 4th century BC with the construction of splendid marble buildings connected with the special allegiance of the Macedonians. The monuments arose in rapid succession, culminating in the famous Hellenistic statue, Nike of Samothrace. It has long been assumed that their marble came chiefly from the nearby Thasos, but visual inspection suggested other marbles as well. Samples for marble provenance investigation were taken from a wide range of monuments. The techniques of Maximum Grain Size measurements, EPR spectroscopy and Stable Isotope analysis were jointly used. The results showed a complex pattern of provenance including Thasian, Pentelic, Parian and Proconnesian marble, sometimes in combination. The presence of Proconnesian marble at least by the early 3rd century BC confirms the use of this marble in the early Hellenistic period. The Nike and its ship base were also investigated and the marble identified.