From design to construction. Integrated approaches for the study of ecclesiastical building sites in the early Byzantine Mediterranean

The paper aims to shed light on building site procedures linked to the construction of ecclesiastical complexes in the early Byzantine Mediterranean (4th-7th c. AD). Archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources are reassessed to get novel insights into logistical customs and recurrent dynamics in relation to several aspects of the preparatory and executive phases of ecclesiastical construction sites, focusing on buildings from capital cities (Constantinople, Ravenna) and minor provincial sites as well. Special attention is paid to evidence of project strategies, such as modularity and design traces, as well as to material features of stone artefacts useful to boost our knowledge about workmanship procedures adopted by workshops both to improve and speed up production. In the final section, an architectural energetic approach, rarely deployed in late antique studies, is adopted to further advance the analysis about the impact of stone production and related craftsmanship on the logistics, times, and costs of the construction site. Such a novel and holistic approach turns out to be crucial to get a thorough understanding of a great array of phenomena traditionally claimed in literature, such as technological development, mass production, and rough export of marble elements. Overall, the contribution intends to show the heuristic potential of an integrated approach to ancient constructions in order to unveil their key role in driving both economic and social growth in the relevant contexts.