Non-invasive characterization of the pigment’s palette used on the painted tomb slabs at Paestum archaeological site

A groundbreaking interdisciplinary archaeometric study has uncovered distinctive markers of a local artisanal tradition in the Greek colony of Paestum, dating back to 500-475 BC. By employing non-invasive analytical techniques such as IRR, UV fluorescence, VIL, FORS, ER-FTIR, Raman, and XRF, researchers examined pigments from frescoed tomb slabs across multiple necropolises, including the renowned Tomb of the Diver. The findings highlight unique executive techniques and provide insights into the artistic practices of this ancient colony, contributing significantly to our understanding of its cultural heritage.

Alberghina, M. F., Germinario, C., Bartolozzi, G., Bracci, S., Grifa, C., Izzo, F., La Russa, M. F., Magrini, D., Massa, E., Mercurio, M., Mollica Nardo, V., Oddo, M. E., Pagnotta, S. M., Pelagotti, A., Ponterio, R. C., Ricci, P., Rovella, N., Ruffolo, S. A., Schiavone, S., et al. (2020). Non-invasive characterization of the pigment’s palette used on the painted tomb slabs at Paestum archaeological site. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 949(1), 12002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/949/1/012002