The building stone of the Roman city of Dougga (Tunisia): Provenance, petrophysical characterisation and durability

Research on the building stone of Dougga (Tunisia) reveals that the Eocene nummulitic limestone used in Roman architecture exhibits exceptional durability, withstanding ice crystallization and SO₂ attack ageing tests. The study identified four distinct lithotypes, each linked to specific stratigraphic mining points in ancient quarries, demonstrating a strong correlation between petrographic variations and physical properties. These findings highlight the stone's resilience as a building material, offering critical insights for the preservation of archaeological sites.

Zoghlami, K., Martín-Martín, J. D., Gómez-Gras, D., Navarro, A., Parcerisa, D., & Rosell, J. R. (2017). The building stone of the Roman city of Dougga (Tunisia): Provenance, petrophysical characterisation and durability. Comptes Rendus. Géoscience, 349(8), 402–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2017.09.017