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Column Shafts
The Marble Elements from Punta Scifo A: A ew Analysis
Architectural Elements
This review of the marbles from the Punta Scifo A shipwreck begins with six
column shafts that, of the 16 or more elements raised between 1909 and 1915, were the
only ones still visible in Croton and Corazzo during the 2005 and 2006 field seasons.
Of the six surviving column shafts, COL 1 and COL 5 are the best preserved.
COL 2 and COL 3A are on display in “Caputi” square and have been arranged in such a
way as to prevent accurate archaeological study. They are mounted upright in the ground,
which precludes measuring their full lengths and determining if a protective collar is
present at the lower extremity. 116 In the photograph reproduced in Fig. 17, which shows
part of the Punta Scifo A cargo unloaded at the dock of Croton, one can see nine column
shafts, seven of which have protective collars. It is likely, therefore, that the lower
extremities of COL 2 and COL 3A have collars as well. COL 4 is a small, heavily eroded
fragment that precludes any means of reconstructing the dimensions of the original shaft;
and COL 6 was broken in three fragments after discovery, with recent fractures devoid of
any sign of marine encrustation.
Even with these limitations, the available material provides several clues to better
116 A collar is a normal feature of column shafts quarried throughout the Empire. The collar is usually left at
each extremity of the shaft, and its function was primarily to protect the shaft if the column had to be rolled
for transportation, and to facilitate lifting with ropes. Additionally, the collars provided some leeway for
lengthening or shortening the column once in place, and a surface for carving the projecting moldings at
either end of the finished column.
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