The paper presents evidence of Roman marble production in the Balkan region, specifically from the south-eastern Rhodope Mountain area (modern Bulgaria) and Armira. Although the Roman marble trade and production in antiquity are well known in Prokonnesos, Thasos, and several other production sites, marble deposits from inland Thrace have received far less attention. In 2018–2019, a systematic survey of south-eastern Bulgaria (Roman Thrace) was carried out by our team in collaboration with the National Archaeological Institute with Museum in Bulgaria. White marble quarries and outcrops were investigated in situ with the goal of characterizing the macroscopic qualities of the stone. Quarry samples were collected and analyzed through various techniques—petrography, isotopic, and chemical analyses—and compared with the architectural decorative marble and artifacts from the Roman villa at Armira. We demonstrate that the geochemical and petrographic features of these samples indicate a marble provenance restricted to a few selected sources. We conclude that the local marble from the Armira and Kamilski Dol quarries was widely used for the complete architectural program of the Roman villa of Armira.

The study of marble trade in antiquity has received a lot of scholarly attention in the last few decades; however, numerous deposits of high-quality white marble in the Thracian interior have only recently become pivotal in Bulgaria. Following the establishment of Thrace as a Roman province, investments into transport infrastructure, urban and rural construction works and monumentalizing architecture in marble have led to an increased demand for stone. Local marble quarries close to urban centres and larger imperial quarries were used for civic buildings, villas and sanctuaries. Provenance analysis of marble quarries and artefacts has established a close link between the place of origin and subsequent place of use. This multi-disciplinary study explores marble sources in the Thracian interior via various approaches such as epigraphy, archaeology, and archaeometry regarding urbanization, trade, and transportation. In this paper, we consider and investigate the Berkovitsa marble, a quarry close to Montana in northwestern Bulgaria, and present a broader framework for the marble trade of the region.

In contrast to several types of marbles used in antiquity, where different data collections do exist, similar approaches for provenance analysis are not available for limestones. In general, limestones are characterised visually and by the examination of sedimentological parameters. The usual microscopic investigation of limestones and the characterisation of limestone artefacts are often impossible because of the large samples necessary for these investigations. It is demonstrated in this paper that for the provenance analysis of limestone, the same established methods used for assigning marbles to their origin can also be successfully used in the case of limestone. We investigated a series of Roman quarries (three different quarry regions) in the north of the Haemus Mountain Range in the region of Marcianopolis and Nicopolis ad Istrum with the aim of establishing a first database (isotope analyses and trace element analyses) to correlate limestone artefacts. All in all, 42 quarry samples from the locations Marciana, Samovodene and Koevtsi were investigated. Fifteen artefacts made of limestone were analysed. Two samples from Marcianopolis were assigned to the Marciana quarry, and seven artefacts from Nicopolis ad Istrum originate from the quarries of Samovodene. For six more samples from Nicopolis ad Istrum, no match to one of the sampled and investigated quarries was found; thus, the existence of one or more quarries in the area is presumed. An extension of the database and the investigation of further limestone quarries in the area certainly will compensate for this deficiency.

Serpentinite is a common lithology in Greece with significant geotectonic and petrogenetic implications, yet its archaeometric study remains limited. This also applies to the Ras serpentinite outcrop on Tinos Island—an enigmatic ancient quarry with no prior documentation of its exploitation. This study aims to provide a holistic provenance analysis and full material characterization to establish a unique fingerprint for future comparative research. A multidisciplinary methodology was applied, including petrography, XRD, FTIR, BET, LA-ICP-MS, electron microprobe analyses, and lichenometry—the latter used to estimate the quarry’s period of activity. The Ras serpentinite consists of a dark-green, brecciated lizardite matrix cut by a pale-green chrysotile network, and notably hosts the first recorded occurrence of minnesotaite in Greece. Relict antigorite within the matrix indicates high-pressure, high-temperature metamorphism preceding a greenschist facies overprint. Geochemical data classify the Ras occurrence as a subduction-related serpentinite derived from a depleted ultrabasic protolith. The aforementioned traits distinguish it from other Greek examples. Lichenometric analysis suggests the quarry was active in the 13th century A.D., with evidence of deliberate extraction techniques. These findings offer valuable insights into archaeometric studies and the provenance of serpentinites in the Aegean.

Archaeometry applies scientific methods to analyse artefacts and structures that shape our cultural heritage. Like field excavations, lab analyses produce substantial material, samples, and data, yet there is limited focus on tracking the full journey of these archaeological objects—from excavation sites to labs and beyond. This gap affects data reproducibility, research quality, and public access to archaeometric findings. This paper details the Austrian Archaeological Institute’s (OeAI) decades-long efforts to archive all relevant data, materials, and documentation from its archaeometric research, treating these elements as extensions of cultural heritage. The OeAI’s collections are particularly notable, featuring one of the most comprehensive archives on Roman marble and pottery from Asia Minor. Key marble datasets, including reference collections by Prof. W. Prochaska, D. Attanasio, and L. Moens, reinforce its foundational role in marble provenance studies. The “Fingerprinting White Marbles” project led to the development of a flexible database designed to store data in a structured format, linking archaeological objects to their analyses and sample data, with controlled vocabulary for consistent, accessible documentation. This platform follows FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) to support sustainable data use across archaeometric fields, allowing new and existing projects to integrate seamlessly. This paper provides an overview of the database, inviting discussion on the evolving needs of both data producers and consumers in archaeometry.