Researchers have traced marble discovered in the ancient city of Thapsus, in present-day Tunisia, to Greek quarries on Paros, Euboea, and the Mani Peninsula. The findings reveal how valuable building materials traveled across the Mediterranean during the Roman period and were used to decorate public buildings in North Africa.
The study, led by Maria Letizia Amadori, examined marble fragments recovered from an ancient complex in Thapsus, near the modern town of Bekalta on Tunisia’s eastern coast.
Researchers found that most of the marble samples originated in Greece. Others came from present-day Turkey, while the source of one fragment remains uncertain. The findings offer new evidence of the trade networks that connected North Africa with Greek territories and other Mediterranean regions under Roman rule.
Ancient Tunisian city used marble from Greek quarries
Thapsus was an important Mediterranean port with a history stretching back to the seventh century B.C. The settlement grew into a prosperous trading center and later became part of the Roman world. Between 2016 and 2019, archaeologists from the University of Sousse and Tunisia’s National Heritage Institute excavated an urban complex containing Roman baths, shops and heated rooms.
Although much of its original decoration had disappeared, the team recovered marble fragments from the baths and surrounding structures. Researchers analyzed nine samples using microscopes, chemical tests, and measurements of carbon and oxygen isotopes. These techniques helped identify the geological origins of the stones.
Ancient marble found in Tunisia has been traced to Greek quarries on Paros, Euboea and Mani.
Researchers say the findings reveal how valuable Greek stone traveled across the Mediterranean to decorate buildings in the Roman city of Thapsus. pic.twitter.com/mHTAO9qNkV
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) November 12, 2026
Two white marble samples matched material from the Lefkes area of Paros, a Greek island known for its ancient marble quarries and the stone used in some of antiquity’s most famous sculptures. Other fragments pointed to Euboea, where quarries supplied green marble marked by distinctive white veins.
The researchers also identified marble associated with the Mani Peninsula in southern Greece, including red stone and white-veined material. A separate study of ancient marble quarries in Mani recently linked stone from the peninsula to a sculpture from the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassai.
The investigation also identified a red marble sample that likely originated from ancient Iasos, in present-day Turkey. One gray-veined fragment proved harder to trace. Its characteristics matched possible sources in either Turkey or Algeria, preventing researchers from reaching a firm conclusion.
Greek marble reveals changing construction practices
The different marble varieties also provide clues about when Thapsus acquired and used imported building materials. Researchers found that green marble from Euboea was used widely from the late first century B.C. until the city’s occupation ended in the third century A.D.
Parian marble was mainly used between the late first century B.C. and the end of the second century A.D. Marble from Mani became particularly popular during the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from A.D. 117 to 138. The researchers suggest that its increased use may have coincided with Thapsus receiving honorary colonial status under Hadrian.
The findings also resemble evidence from another archaeological study at ancient Hippos, where researchers identified imported marble from Greek quarries in the remains of early churches. However, much of Thapsus’ marble decoration was later removed. Some material was reused in buildings, while other pieces were apparently processed into lime at a workshop near the baths. This extensive removal explains why relatively few marble fragments survive today.
The study also raises the possibility that workers imported large stone blocks and cut them locally, although the surviving evidence cannot establish this with certainty. The discoveries add to evidence of the extensive transport networks that carried marble across the Roman Mediterranean. Researchers say the findings could also guide future efforts to preserve the surviving archaeological remains at Thapsus.
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