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Published in:
2018 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
25. Characterization of Pigments in Wall Paintings of Macedonian Tombs Using Noninvasive and Nondestructive Techniques
Authors : Alexandros Konstanta, Georgia Theofanidou, Vasileios Tsinaridis, Ioannis Karapanagiotis
Published in: 10th International Symposium on the Conservation of Monuments in the Mediterranean Basin
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
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Abstract
The goal of the study is the identification of pigments and other materials contained in wall paintings of three Macedonian tombs which date back to the fourth to third century BC: the tomb I of Dion, the tomb IV of Dion, and the tomb A (Heuzey). The investigation is carried out in two phases. First, portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is used for in situ measurements. In the second phase, 12 microsamples which were removed from damaged areas of the wall paintings are investigated using optical microscopy, micro-Raman, and micro-FTIR spectroscopy.
The following pigments are identified: red ochre, yellow ochre, Egyptian blue, and carbon black. Moreover, the dominant presence of calcite is revealed, while gypsum is identified in the preparation layers of only two samples. Finally, an organic material (probably egg yolk) is detected in three samples by FTIR. Based on these findings, an interpretation of the possible (fresco/secco) painting technique(s) which could have been applied in the Macedonian paintings is provided, in light of previously published reports.