The Life of Pigments: From Raw Material to Application. Archaeometric Study of Roman Painted Plaster Between Northern Etruria and the Sea
The pictorial decorations of Roman buildings bear witness to the artistic tastes and techniques of the time, but their creation is closely tied to ancient economic, political, and social processes. Beyond decorative and iconographic aspects, these artifacts provide valuable insights into ancient craftsmanship, as well as commercial and social dynamics. While numerous studies have focused on the stylistic and iconographic classification of mural paintings, fewer have explored the production cycle and technical know-how required for the preparation and application of pigments, although interest in this field has grown in recent years. This project aims to study the chaîne opératoire of pigments used in the coastal and insular contexts of northern Roman Etruria, reconstructing the production and application phases and the social, economic, and commercial implications of the raw materials used, by analysing samples with non-invasive and micro-invasive archaeometric techniques.
Project goals:
1. Characterization of the ancient palette: identify and describe the pigments used from a chemical and mineralogical perspective, comparing them with artifacts from the Roman and Campanian regions.
2. Tracing raw materials: determine the geographical origin of the raw materials and map the trade routes of the pigments.
3. Analysis of production cycle: reconstruct the artisanal practices related to the preparation and application of the pigments.
4. Creation of an integrated database: develop a database containing information on the macroscopic, microscopic, petrographic, chemical and stylistic characteristics of painted decorations, released in an open-data format.
5. Development of an analytical protocol: establish a methodology for archaeometric analyses applicable both in situ and in the laboratory.
The study sample includes fragments from selected sites in the coastal and insular areas of northern Etruria, chosen for their historical significance and accessibility. The analytical steps will be:
1. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses: visual inspection of the samples and observation using a digital microscope for initial morphological description.
2. Non-invasive spectroscopic analyses: use of portable spectrometry (XRF, Raman, FT-IR, and hyperspectral imaging) to identify and characterize the pigments.
3. Statistical analyses: application of multivariate statistical analyses (Principal Component Analysis) to identify clusters of samples with similar characteristics.
4. Micro-invasive petrographic analyses: thin-sectioning and isotopic analyses on selected representative samples to determine the provenance of raw materials.
5. Geological sampling: collection of geological samples from potential procurement areas to verify the similarity between the raw materials and those used in the selected contexts.
Reference for the figures:
Benetti, I., Fabiani, F., Genovesi, S., & Puntin, M. (2024). Il Primo Stile in Etruria settentrionale. Nuove testimonianze dagli scavi di via San Zeno a Pisa. AIRPA VII. LA PITTURA PARIETALE IN MUSEO, Ostia antica (20-22 giugno 2024).
Project edited by:
Massimiliano Puntin
massimiliano.puntin@uniroma1.it