Raman spectroscopy analysis of Pompeian wall paintings

From the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, a report called "Field Raman analysis to diagnose the conservation state of excavated walls and wall paintings in the archaeological site of Pompeii."

Abstract:This work presents the results of field Raman analyses, assisted by a hand-held energy dispersive-X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, to experimentally determine the composition of compounds present in the walls and wall paintings of two Pompeian houses, one with many luxurious decorative elements (the House of Marcus Lucretius, Regio IX, Insula 3, House 5/24) and a more modest building (Regio IX, Insula 3, House 1–2). These houses were excavated 150 years ago, and the majority of the rooms have been exposed outdoors. The chemical attacks of the acid gases and the biological colonisation can be considered the most serious problems of the archaeological remains from Insula IX 3 of Pompeii. The walls and wall paintings exposed to the rain-wash are the worst preserved ones, probably due to a continuous cycle of SO₂ attack to the original materials, involving loss of plaster. This severe decay was not observed in the rooms covered by roofs; in these last rooms, the most noticeable pathologies are the presence of high humidity in the walls and the elevated amount of efflorescences.

A PDF of the article can be downloaded from the Wiley Publications website.

Help required with Fresco fragment

Hi everyone,

I am currently researching and writing up four fresco fragments held in Australia at Maquarie University. I was hoping that someone here might recognise the iconography / design on the following fragment. I have yet to come across it or make note of something similar whilst working in Pompeii and am hoping that someone on the blog might have come across it in Pompeii or possibly seen it in Roman wall painting elsewhere. I would like to be able to cite examples of its use in particular structures as part of my write up and any information or photographs would be helpful in sending me in the right direction. The image is below.
I am happy to acknowledge and cite you in my paper for anything you may be able to provide.

Regards
Rob Brown
Maquarie University Postgrad
Pompeii Food and Drink Project-staff

Photographic images of the Sarno Baths 8.2.17-23 and the so-called 'toll station' 8.1.4

Would anyone be kind enough to share their photographic images of the properties at 8.1.4 (the so-called 'toll station' within the Porta Marina) and/or the Sarno Baths at 8.2.17-23?

Over the past few years, although I received SANP permissions, I was unable to access these two properties due to the continued stabilisation work at 8.2.17-23 and the rebuilding of the Villa Imperiale. I would very much like to include them in my research on the properties of Region 8, but as I wrap up my work I find it difficult to draw definite conclusions from my research perspective due to a lack of visual information. I am specifically looking for images inside both of these properties that you may have taken within the last 30 years.

Of course, I would be very happy to include the appropriate citations of any images shared with me for my research study purposes. I am contactable at sera baker at hotmail dot com (all one word) and I have access to a Dropbox account if that would make it easier.

Many thanks! Sera

News: Conclusa in Campania prima fase restauro della barca romana di Ercolano

From Adnkronos:

Conclusa in Campania prima fase restauro della barca romana di Ercolano
Scoperta durante gli scavi del 1982, e’ tra i reperti piu’ significativi degli scavi
Ercolano (Na) - La conclusione della prima fase del restauro della barca romana rinvenuta a Ercolano sull’antica spiaggia permette di aprire al pubblico uno dei reperti simbolo dell’antica città e di esporre, per la prima volta, una serie di oggetti collegati al mare e alle attività marinare. Agli inizi degli anni Ottanta del Novecento, da un’intuizione di Giuseppe Maggi, in quel tempo direttore degli Scavi, l’esplorazione archeologica davanti alle Terme Suburbane raggiunse la sabbia vulcanica dell’antica spiaggia, dimostrando in modo incontrovertibile la posizione del litorale davanti alla città. Ma le sorprese erano appena iniziate: sulla spiaggia, e soprattutto nei magazzini che si aprivano su di essa, si rinvennero oltre trecento scheletri di ercolanesi che avevano cercato riparo all’interno di quelle robuste arcate ricavate al di sotto dell’Area Sacra e della Terrazza di M. Nonio Balbo, sperando forse nell’arrivo di soccorsi dal mare. 

 Read the full article here.

FastiOnline: Masseria De Carolis 2011

The 2011 excavation report from Masseria De Carolis is now online at Fasti Online:

Girolamo F. De Simone, 2012, Masseria De Carolis. Fasti Online

News: Sesso negli Scavi, i latin lover del Vesuvio che hanno violato il Lupanare: «Volevamo solo stupire, che casino»

This takes the prize for most bizarre story of the year (so far!): two local boys with two female tourists (from Russia and the Ukraine) broke into the scavi to have sex and were caught in the Brothel!

MetropolisWeb:

Sesso negli Scavi, i latin lover del Vesuvio che hanno violato il Lupanare: «Volevamo solo stupire, che casino»

Eccoli gli uomini che hanno «profanato» il tempo dell’amore negli Scavi di Pompei: uno ha 33 anni, l’altro ne ha cinque in più. Il primo è di Scafati, il secondo di Terzigno. Hanno una denuncia che gli pende sulla testa, ma trovano ancora la forza di sorridere per una bravata che ha fatto il giro del mondo. Il più piccolo sussurra: «Volevamo solo fare una conquista», invece «siamo finiti sui giornali».   L’hanno fatta grossa, e lo sanno. Ma conquistare due turiste, una russa e una ucraina, durante una puntata agli Scavi più visitati del mondo, strappare loro un appuntamento «al buio» del Lupanare, «non ha prezzo» nel curriculum dei nuovi latin lover all’ombra del Vesuvio. Negli anni del bianco e nero facevano scuola quelli di Sorrento, o almeno quelli che a Sorrento arrivavano con il doppiopetto grigio e il cappello con la falda all’ingiù.

Read the full story here. And there's another version of the same here, with additional discussion of other problems in the scavi.