Trachyte from the Roman aqueducts of Padua and Este (north-east Italy): a provenance study based on petrography, chemistry and magnetic susceptibility

This study presents the results of archaeometric analysis of the stones used to build the Roman aqueduct in Padua (North- East Italy), in order to identify the petrography and the quarry/ies of provenance from which the stones were exploited. The combined approach, involving petrographic, geochemical and magnetic susceptibility data, shows that the stones used for building the Roman aqueduct were of volcanic origin, with a trachyte composition, were quarried from two different localities in the Euganean Hills (Mt.Merlo and Mt. Oliveto) and that construction of the aqueducts, particularly of its various segments, both in the present-day city centre of Padua and in the Euganean Hills area, was centralised and managed by a single authority.