Chemical and mineralogical analyses on stones from Sagunto Castle (Spain)

For the first time, an archaeometric study was carried out on the carbonate rock ashlars of the Sagunto Castle. The studied site is one of the most important and best preserved Spanish archaeological and architectural monuments, characterized by different construction phases from the Roman period to Modern Ages. Forty samples collected from thirteen different structures of Sagunto Castle and two quarries, located in the Sagunto's hill were used for comparative purposes. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine their mineralogical and elemental composition. The obtained data show similar chemical and mineralogical features between the rocks outcropping in the city quarries and some of those employed to build the structures, suggesting that rocks could have been used to build the structures from different periods along the centuries.