La bottega del tagliapietre a Tolemaide

In the centre of Late Antique Ptolemais, in a residential area, stands the so-called House T, a complex which went through several phases of restructure including a major one after the 365 A.D. earthquake.
In this phase, a specific area of the house underwent many changes among which was the addition of a building with a kiln and two vats, served by a complex network of channels: this could be interpreted as a workshop associated with marble working, since a large porphyry block lying in a nearby courtyard shows traces of cutting with a saw on its surfaces. The interpretation of the structure presented here departs radically from the traditional interpetration as a bath, and is based on both archaeological and literary evidence. On the basis of the analysis it is possible to reconstruct, albeit only in general terms, the functional parts and mechanisms of a stonemason’s workshop of Late.