Meccanismi di collasso nelle Latomie di Siracusa

The aim of this work is to support, through geomechanical methods, the historical hypothesis proposed by the archaeologists according to which the Latomiae of Syracuse, ancient Greek quarries, were originally mainly developed underground. In order to reach this objective, the finite elements numerical modelling was applied. The input data were inferred from the geologic history, from different archaeological reports and from the geomechanical characterization both of the intact rock and of the rock mass. The study highlighted the geotechnical events which modified the shape and the safety conditions of these amazing ancient quarries over the centuries.