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Table 11. Dimensions and tonnage of the marble blocks from Punta Scifo A.
Artifact # Length
(m)
Length
(R. ft)
Width
(m)
Width
(R. ft)
Thick.
(m)
Thick.
(R. ft)
Tons
BLC 1 2.610 8 ¾ 1.220 4 0.760 2 ½ 6.20
BLC 2 3.070 10 ¼ 1.440 4 ¾ 0.265 1 3.00
BLC 3 1.900 6 ½ 1.576 5 ¼ 0.660 2 ¼ 5.07
BLC 4 1.68 5 ¾ 0.890 3 0.750 2 ½ 2.87
BLC 5 2.10 7 0.74 2 ½ 1.00 3 ½ 3.98
BLC 6 3.120 10 ½ 1.500 5 0.520 1 ¾ 6.24
BLC 7 1.970 6 ¾ 1.010 3 ½ 0.800 2 ¾ 4.08
BLC 8 1.80 6 1.06 3 ½ 0.680 2 ½ 3.33
BLC 9 1.05 3 ½ 0.90 3 0.40 1 ¼ 0.97
BLC 10 1.650 5 ½ >1.30 >0.30 >1.65
BLC 11 2.280 7 ¾ 2.450 8 ¼ 0.620 2 8.88
BLC 12 2.300 7 ¾ 2.200 7 ½ 0.490 1 ¾ 6.35
BLC 13 4.650 15 ¾ 1.430 4 ¾ 0.620 2 10.57
BLC 14 3.80 12 ¾ 2.50 8 ½ 0.84 2 ¾ 20.45
Weight (total)
>83.64
with its gigantic size. For comparison, it should be noted that there are only three cargoes
in the entire Mediterranean known to contain a heavier marble block: Marzamemi 1
(third century A.D., 40 tons), Isola delle Correnti (third century A.D., 28.5 tons), and
Porto Novo (early first century A.D., 23.3 tons). 147
The conversion to Roman feet does not provide particularly useful information:
the lengths fall between 5 ½ and 15 ¾ R. ft, the widths between 3 ½ and 8 ½ R. ft, and
the thicknesses between 1 and 2 ¾ R. ft. It does not look like the masons followed a set of
fixed, gradually increasing proportions as with the column shafts. The blocks were
probably quarried in the most efficient way, following the natural veins in order to avoid
waste and possible imperfections in the stone. It is worth noting that the blocks in
147 Marzamemi 1: see Kapitän 1971, 298-303; Isola delle Correnti: Kapitän 1971, 296-8; Porto Novo:
Bernard, Bessac, Mardikian and Feugère 1996, 53-81.
106