La fabrication du bleu égyptien à Cumes

Caputo, Paolo; Cuma, Funzionario responsabile dell'Ufficio per i Beni Archeologici di; Pompei., Soprintendenza speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e; Cavassa, Laëtitia

doi:10.4000/books.pcjb.4248

Cited by 7 publications

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“…Likewise, the addition of an alkaline flux in the form of soda-rich or mixed-alkaline plant ash was reinforced due to the detection of mainly sulphate and phosphate salts of sodium and potassium as well as magnesium and calcium. Such corresponding trace constituents in Roman Imperial and Early Medieval Egyptian blue provide sound scientific evidence of a continuous production and trade monopoly in the Gulf of Pozzuoli surviving from the first centuries A.D. up to the politically turbulent period after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, this in line with statements of the antique Roman writers Vitruvius 3 and Pliny the Elder 4 and recent archaeological finds in the cities of Cumae and Liternum 6 – 8 .…”

Section: Conclusion: Evidences For the Provenance Of The Raw Material...supporting

confidence: 70%

Raman focal point on Roman Egyptian blue elucidates disordered cuprorivaite, green glass phase and trace compounds

Dariz

Schmid

2022

Sci Rep

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The discussed comparative analyses of Roman Imperial pigment balls and fragmentary murals unearthed in the ancient cities of Aventicum and Augusta Raurica (Switzerland) by means of Raman microspectroscopy pertain to a predecessor study on trace compounds in Early Medieval Egyptian blue (St. Peter, Gratsch, South Tyrol, Northern Italy). The plethora of newly detected associated minerals of the raw materials surviving the synthesis procedure validate the use of quartz sand matching the composition of sediments transported by the Volturno river into the Gulf of Gaeta (Campania, Southern Italy) with a roasted sulphidic copper ore and a mixed-alkaline plant ash as fluxing agent. Thus, the results corroborate a monopolised pigment production site located in the northern Phlegrean Fields persisting over the first centuries A.D., this in line with statements of the antique Roman writers Vitruvius and Pliny the Elder and recent archaeological evidences. Beyond that, Raman spectra reveal through gradual peak shifts and changes of band width locally divergent process conditions and compositional inhomogeneities provoking crystal lattice disorder in the chromophoric cuprorivaite as well as the formation of a copper-bearing green glass phase, the latter probably in dependency of the concentration of alkali flux, notwithstanding that otherwise solid-state reactions predominate the synthesis.

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Section: Conclusion: Evidences For the Provenance Of The Raw Material...supporting

confidence: 70%

Raman focal point on Roman Egyptian blue elucidates disordered cuprorivaite, green glass phase and trace compounds

Dariz

Schmid

2022

Sci Rep

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“…The typological study of these materials by Caputo and Cavassa 16 and Cavassa et al 17 identified two types of containers: a globular/closed one with height of~30-40 cm and bottom/top diameter of~20 cm [type 1, Fig. 1(b)] and a cylindrical/open form with height from 40 to 50 cm and diameter of~30 cm [type 2, Fig.…”

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confidence: 99%

Beyond Vitruvius: New Insight in the Technology of Egyptian Blue and Green Frits

et al. 2016

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Archeological campaigns along the track of the Domitian road in Cuma resulted in the recovery of a large amount of potshards and crucible fragments (both open and closed forms), covered with residues of blue and green frits, respectively. Typological analysis of the crucibles combined with mineralogical and petrological analyses on the ceramic body and frit residues revealed that the forms are intimately related to the technological data. Newly formed calcium silicates indicate high firing treatments of crucibles during pigment making (not lower than 950°C). In particular, different working temperatures for the two types of crucibles have been estimated by the presence/absence of sodalite‐nosean feldspathoid. This mineral formed after the reaction of Si‐Al‐rich material (the sintered ceramic body) and alkalis transferred to ceramics via chemical diffusion during the pigment synthesis. Thus, the estimated working temperatures are higher for closed forms (>1100°C) and lower for the open ones (950–1050°C). This different thermal treatment perfectly fits with the temperatures of green and blue pigment synthesis; higher temperatures for green pigments allowed the formation of abundant Cu‐bearing glassy phase, whereas, blue pigment is prone to the formation and thermal stability of cuprorivaite crystals (950–1050°C). Moreover, the two frits showed similar recipes (quartz‐feldspar‐calcite‐rich sand) with the exception of more abundant Cu‐bearing colorant agent in blue hue and higher proportion of alkaline flux in green frit. The obtained data suggested that crucibles were a fundamental tool for pigment manufacturing, likely one of the best example of ancient technical ceramics, as they permitted controlling the temperatures along with the fuel and the treatment time. Combining analytical and archeological data, the production and the technology of the two colored compounds identified as Egyptian Blue and Green frits in ancient Cuma has been inferred. Finally, considering the Vitruvius excerpt that identified an Egyptian Blue production in Puteoli, the area of production can be widen up to the northern Phlegraean Fields, also including Cumae and Liternum.

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“…It was able to detect elements which reveal the production period. In fact, most of the pigments have been used since the Roman period: the blue pigment is an egyptian blue whose production is documented in Cuma [21]. The mortar radiocarbon dating is a reliable technique especially at the archaeological sites where there are scarce materials to date.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elemental analysis using ED-XRF and ¹⁴C dating of Cuman wall paintings samples

et al. 2018

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The aim of the present research was to analyse pigments and mortars of fresco fragments located at Cuma (Naples, Italy). The ED-XRF technique and 14 C dating were used to establish the nature of the pigments and the age of mortars, respectively. ED-XRF results allowed to determine the elemental composition of the pigments that identified the colours and, hence, the historical period of completion. The 14 C dating, applied to mortars using a particular preparation, provided results that are in accordance with the archaeological information within the 2σ interval range.

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La fabrication du bleu égyptien à Cumes

Cited by 7 publications

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Raman focal point on Roman Egyptian blue elucidates disordered cuprorivaite, green glass phase and trace compounds

Raman focal point on Roman Egyptian blue elucidates disordered cuprorivaite, green glass phase and trace compounds

Beyond Vitruvius: New Insight in the Technology of Egyptian Blue and Green Frits

Elemental analysis using ED-XRF and ¹⁴C dating of Cuman wall paintings samples

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La fabrication du bleu égyptien à Cumes

Cited by 7 publications

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Raman focal point on Roman Egyptian blue elucidates disordered cuprorivaite, green glass phase and trace compounds

Raman focal point on Roman Egyptian blue elucidates disordered cuprorivaite, green glass phase and trace compounds

Beyond Vitruvius: New Insight in the Technology of Egyptian Blue and Green Frits

Elemental analysis using ED-XRF and 14C dating of Cuman wall paintings samples

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Elemental analysis using ED-XRF and ¹⁴C dating of Cuman wall paintings samples