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Excavations carried out in Cuma by the Centre Jean Bérard archaeologists have uncovered a large quantity of pottery. This study is focused on cooking ware and on internal red-slip cookware, also known as Pompeian Red Ware (Rosso Pompeiano), dated from the first century bc to the first century ad. A comparison with the minero-petrographic composition of beach sands collected along the Bay of Naples coastline highlights the provenance of the temper from the Somma-Vesuvius area, marked by leucite-bearing scoriae and garnet. Petrochemical analyses allow us to distinguish two main groups of pottery characterized by different technological options based on the amount of temper and on the type of clay. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope data demonstrate improved accuracy in the production of Rosso Pompeiano, especially with regard to firing control, which was in a prevailing oxidizing atmosphere and in a narrow thermal range, between about 800 and 900°C

Identification of the painting technique adopted by an artist is often debated in studies on the characterization, restoration and conservation of mural paintings. However, objective criteria to identify the two main lime-based painting techniques, fresco and lime-paint, have not yet been systematically verified on replicas. Replicas were painted following both fresco and lime-painting techniques. A comparison of microstratigraphic sequences and distribution of chemical elements reveals systematic differences between the two techniques, providing objective distinguishing criteria. Samples from the Abbey of Chiaravalle (Milan, Italy) and Pompeii were also analysed, and the results were compared with experimental data to validate the recommended criteria.

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This paper describes the application of cluster analysis to X-ray powder diffraction patterns (XRPD) to define homogeneous groups of mortar-based materials according to their mineralogical composition. For this purpose, the diffraction patterns of 110 samples of mortars from the Temple of Venus (Pompeii, southern Italy) were used to test the method. Rietveld refinement, for quantitative mineralogical phase analysis, was performed on the most representative sample of each cluster. The mineralogical grouping yielded by cluster analysis of XRPD data turned out to be consistent with the petrographic groups.