A multidisciplinary study of Roman painted plasters from Roman villa in Ponti Novi (Sabina area, Lazio, Italy)

A multidisciplinary approach has been used to investigate painted plasters coming from a Roman villa in Ponti Novi (Sabina area, Rieti, Lazio, Italy): both the plasters and the pigments have been analyzed by different techniques. In particular, optical microscopy, colorimetry, X-ray diffraction, chemical and granulometric analysis, have been performed on the opus arenatum layers of the plasters, while X-ray diffraction and μ-Raman spectroscopy have provided information on the pigments. Paleopalynological and opal analysis have also performed on the silt component of the mortar. The presence of clear imprints of incannucciata on the first preparatory layer of the plaster has been also observed on the larger part of the investigated samples. The experimental results have allowed to obtain interesting information on the materials and techniques used for the realization of the plasters and paints.