Materials Characteristics of Roman and Arabic Mortars and Stuccoes from the Patio De Banderas in the Real Alcazar of Seville (Spain)

Abstract

This study discusses the materials and traditional knowledge used in the manufacture and application of lime mortars and stuccoes by Romans and Arabs in Seville (southern Iberian Peninsula). All of the samples studied contain calcite as a binder, combined with aggregates based on river sand from the filling materials of the Guadalquivir River's depression, located in the vicinity of the Real Alcazar Palace in Seville, Spain, where the artefacts were discovered. The Romans used high‐quality production technology, as evidenced by the careful selection of raw materials as well as by the adequate binder‐to‐aggregate ratio and the elevated homogeneity of the mortars and stuccoes. The suitable distribution of aggregates resulted in higher density values for Roman fragments than for Arabic ones. Results derived from Arabic samples suggest a decline in technology manufacture over time. This work provides useful information, particularly regarding the Roman and Arabic periods in the Iberian Peninsula. The analytical techniques employed in this study were X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray fluorescence (XRF)—using conventional and portable systems, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), petrographic microscopy, differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetry (DTA/TG), particle‐size analysis and mercury intrusion porosimetry.

Wall Paintings from the Roman Emona (Ljubljana, Slovenia): Characterization of Mortar Layers and Pigments

“…Also, other studies report the use of an aggregate of local origin (Garofano et al . ). Angular grains of dolomite aggregate indicate the use of crushed rocks, and are likely to be obtained from dolomite rock that occurs in the vicinity of Ljubljana.…”

“…; Garofano et al . ). Moreover, supports became much less complex as the period of Roman domination elapsed (Garofano et al .…”

“…On the other hand, the porosity of mortar layers with silicate aggregate, studied by Garofano et al . (), is in the range 27–36%.…”

“…The study of Roman wall paintings is of great importance in providing valuable information about their production technology, artistic materials used and past intervention, and also for conduction of proper conservation-restoration interventions. The studies on Roman wall paintings, from various sites in Italy, France, England, Spain, Switzerland and Greece, mainly concern identification of pigments and binding media (Corso et al 2012;Fermo et al 2013;Piovesan et al 2011), and some also investigate painting techniques and prepartory mortar layers (Béarat 1996;Weber et al 2009;Piovesan et al 2012;Garofano et al 2013).…”

Indirect chronology method employing rare earth elements to identify Sagunto Castle mortar construction periods

“…Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) has been used especially to determine the hydraulic character of the binder fraction [13,14,15]. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), frequently associated with other techniques such as optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), provided excellent methods to detect the main features of a mortar [16,17,18,19]. In a recent paper, Leone et al [18] have used some of these techniques to characterize mortar samples from the Roman city of Herculaneum (Italy) and to determine their degradation state.…”