Guide to Terms & Abbreviations

This site uses numerous field-specific architectural and archaeological terms. An illustrated explanation for many of these can be found in the 'Illustrated Lexicon of Mouldings' found on pages 328-332 of J.-P. Adam's Roman Building Materials and Techniques (1999).

Abbreviations are used throughout the website to simplify the text. They are standardised according to common abbreviated formats in English, with several as relevant only to specific types of architectural components. They include:

General
H: Height
W: Width
D: Depth
Dia: Diameter

For Ionic Capitals
Ab: Abacus
Ech: Echinus
Vol: Volute
Dist: Distance, as in, distance between the volutes
Bol: Bolster
Bal: Balteus