High resolution portable Macro-XRF scanning was applied in-situ to study a highly degraded portrait of an ancient Roman woman, still on site in its original setting: at the “House of the Mosaic Atrium” in the ancient city of Herculaneum. The Fe XRF map reveals a sketch of the painting showing her eyes, nose, and mouth in great detail. In addition to the Fe map, Al, Si, K, Ca, Cu and Pb maps provide information about the possible pigments used by the ancient artist. Moreover, the low concentration of Ca on the cheeks suggests that the painting technique used was quite sophisticated, performed both as true fresco (pigments applied on a wet surface of lime mortar - a mixture of calcium hydroxide and sand and or pumice stone) as well as “secco” (pigments applied with an organic binders after the carbonation of the lime mortar has taken place). The presence of organic media was later confirmed by in-situ external reflectance FTIR analysis, which also showed the presence of oxalates, a common degradation product of organic matter found on wall paintings. Wall paintings at Herculaneum are in a state of accelerated decay and information on the materials and techniques used are key for the development of proper conservation treatments to preserve them.<br/>The portrayed woman was most likely a dweller of the household, as it was customary for romans to display portraits of family members. Most portraits, however, were sculptures rather than paintings, making this portrait precious, as not many have survived.<br/>Furthermore, XRF scanning makes it possible to reveal the detail and sophistication of a portrait too degraded to be appreciated by the naked eye, bringing “back to life the face of an ancient woman”.<br/>The work presented in this abstract has taken place in the context of the Herculaneum Conservation Project’s collaborative program for scientific research and site trials that address the conservation challenges at the archaeological site of Herculaneum, Italy

Portrait of an ancient woman revealed by high resolution portable macro-XRF scanning

254th National Meeting (2017)

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