Archaeological Site Of Pompeii Research Articles

Modeling solid-state reaction processes: application for the archaeometric study of potteries from Venus Fisica Temple in Pompeii (Italy)

AbstractThis research employs the voltammetry of immobilized microparticles (VIMP) methodology to analyze a collection of ceramic samples from the temple of Venus Fisica in the archaeological site of Pompeii. The primary objective is to discern their origins and manufacturing processes by the solid-state analysis of the electroactive properties of iron minerals, particularly hematite, extensively investigated for its electrochemical and catalytic characteristics. In our study, we propose a model to elucidate the electrochemical processes involved, building upon prior logistic and nucleation formulations. In this model, we consider the possibility of two superimposed pathways. This approach provides a nuanced understanding of composition changes and mineral crystallinity, factors that can induce significant variations in the voltammetric signal. Consequently, it becomes an effective means to discriminate between different provenances and manufacturing techniques of different potteries. The outcomes of this research contribute valuable insights into the intricate realm of ancient ceramic materials, casting light on their origins and production processes within the historical context of Pompeii.

Metal Fragments of Roman Pipes from Pompeii: Investigations on Copper-Based Alloys, Corrosion Products, and Surface Treatments

This work reports the study of metal fragments from Roman pipes excavated from the archaeological site of Pompeii and currently preserved in the deposits of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN). The Roman pipe, called the tibia, is a reed wind musical instrument similar to the Greek aulos. It can be made of wood, bone, and/or metal. Materials consisting of metal Cu-based alloys were excavated from archaeological burial environments. This research aims to identify the composition of the alloys, characterize the corrosion patinas, and identify any ancient surface treatments on the fragments. Non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques were used to achieve this aim, i.e., optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the materials and manufacturing techniques used for these instruments, as well as the degradation processes occurring over the centuries.

Should We Adopt a Pragmatic Approach to Holocaust Heritage in the 21st Century?

This essay proposes that a pragmatic approach be taken towards Holocaust heritage in the 21st century and beyond. Its point of departure is the recognition that it is now nearly 80 years since the end of the war and we are not making heritage decisions today about such sites based on inheriting them 'untouched' in 1945 and dictating their future role as sites of education, remembrance and pilgrimage. Rather, in acknowledgement that many decades have passed and that buildings from many sites of Holocaust heritage have been put to other uses, I argue that a pragmatic solution is required rather than an insistence that Holocaust heritage must have no function today other than one based solely on remembrance and memorialisation. This essay discusses whether we should be prepared to accept compromises and give up idealistic perceptions of a single 'right' solution that dictates the heritage futures of such sites. The research for this discussion is based upon the 2019-24 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) project Safeguarding Sites, chaired by the author. This essay thus prizes an approach that safeguards Holocaust sites, but questions what we mean by 'safeguarding', arguing that Holocaust heritage is not like the archaeological site of Pompeii; we have not inherited it untouched and preserved in volcanic ash, nor have we had ownership of it continuously since the end of the war.

BIM approach for stone pavements in Archaeological Sites: The case study of Vicolo dei Balconi of Pompeii

At present, ecological and technological transition policies encourage the improvement of efficiency of engineering processes; this is the background for new methods for the digitalization of engineering works. The methodological approach of Building Information Modeling (BIM) brings a great wave of innovation, probably destined to replace previous approaches to the designing, maintenance, and management phases. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology to apply BIM to the archaeological field (Heritage BIM - HBIM), with a focus on stone paved roads. It addresses the case study of a stretch of stone paved road located in the Archaeological Site of Pompeii in Italy. For the development of the digital model, several BIM-based tools have been used, starting from a laser scanner-based survey, which led to a point cloud that was subsequently coordinated with certain referenced points to achieve a correct geo-referenced point cloud. The corridor design process was performed by developing a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the paved surface and customizing the cross-section. Meanwhile, a visual programming application based on Python language was used to enrich the usability of the model itself with further operations. As result, a tool is proposed to be used in maintenance, management and restoration projects, for archaeological assets.

PHOTOGRAMMETRIC PROCESSING AND FRUITION OF PRODUCTS IN OPEN-SOURCE ENVIRONMENT APPLIED TO THE CASE STUDY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF POMPEII

Abstract. The paper presents the geomatic survey campaign carried out in the Domus V of Pompeii Archaeological site, the photogrammetric processing of the collected images and the following fruition of the deriving products deploying open-source software. Among all the produced results, the orthophotos of the vertical walls of one of the Domus V rooms are made available through a “master/slave” GIS environment, where each orthophoto is uploaded in a “slave” project whose visualization is triggered by querying the corresponding geometry representing the wall in the “master” project. This strategy allows to include the display of the third dimension, i.e., the altimetric one, within a traditional GIS environment, so to constitute a 3D GIS representation. This is particularly useful to realize a catalogue of all the archaeological site in the future to be viewed, queried and exploited also by non-specialists in geomatics or archaeology fields of knowledge.

Bioarchaeological and palaeogenomic portrait of two Pompeians that died during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD

The archaeological site of Pompeii is one of the 54 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy, thanks to its uniqueness: the town was completely destroyed and buried by a Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 AD. In this work, we present a multidisciplinary approach with bioarchaeological and palaeogenomic analyses of two Pompeian human remains from the Casa del Fabbro. We have been able to characterize the genetic profile of the first Pompeian’ genome, which has strong affinities with the surrounding central Italian population from the Roman Imperial Age. Our findings suggest that, despite the extensive connection between Rome and other Mediterranean populations, a noticeable degree of genetic homogeneity exists in the Italian peninsula at that time. Moreover, palaeopathological analyses identified the presence of spinal tuberculosis and we further investigated the presence of ancient DNA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the power of a combined approach to investigate ancient humans and confirms the possibility to retrieve ancient DNA from Pompeii human remains. Our initial findings provide a foundation to promote an intensive and extensive paleogenetic analysis in order to reconstruct the genetic history of population from Pompeii, a unique archaeological site.

A Scan-to-BIM Methodology Applied to Stone Pavements in Archaeological Sites

The transition from Building Information Modelling (BIM) to Heritage Building Information Modelling (H-BIM) is intended to pursue an adequate knowledge of the artefact that is to be preserved, progressively replacing the traditional methods of restoration and structural reinforcement projects with new tools for the management of both existing information and new interventions. The aim of the paper is to show the application of the H-BIM method to a stone pavement road located in the Archaeological Site of Pompeii. In detail, starting from a laser scanner-based survey, juxtaposed with coordinated points georeferenced through a total station, point clouds were handled by means of several BIM-based tools to perform the road design process, starting from the digital elevation model (DEM) and proceeding to the corridor representation. Subsequently, a visual programming application based on Python language was adopted to update the corridor information by means of the object property set. As preliminary results, a tool, complete with graphical and non-graphical information, is proposed to be used in conservation, maintenance and restoration projects.

Structural Assessment of Ancient Masonry Structures: An Experimental Investigation on Rubble Stone Masonry

ABSTRACT Non-destructive investigation procedures are appropriate approaches for the qualitative mechanical assessment of heritage masonry structures. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of one of the most common ancient masonry typologies, particularly in Roman archaeological sites, the rubble stone masonry, that is the ancient opus incertum, with an extensive experimental program carried out in the archaeological site of Pompeii. The research focused on archaeological masonry structures with different states of preservation and with or without modern interventions. A non-destructive investigation procedure was carried out including detailed geometrical and material surveys, visual inspections and an extensive program of sonic pulse velocity tests, with a total of 1965 acquired velocities. The paper describes the adopted investigation protocol and detailed analysis and discusses the experimental outcomes. Comparisons with available literature data concerning different masonry typologies at the Pompeii site are also presented. Furthermore, the results of the non-destructive investigation have been compared with available mechanical information from destructive and non-destructive tests performed by the authors on Pompeii-like masonry panels. The unique set of data collected may represent a sound tool for the estimation of the mechanical parameters of the ancient masonry structures, which is a crucial step for the definition of preservation actions.

A Conceptual Design Approach for Archaeological Structures, a Challenging Issue between Innovation and Conservation: A Studied Case in Ancient Pompeii

The preservation of the authenticity of a building artifact in an archaeological area is a responsible practice. On the other hand, the need to save the building artifact from natural and anthropic degradation and ensuring the structural reliability as well as an efficient maintenance program are big challenges. These tasks usually involve the cooperation of several professionals and the responsible use of innovative techniques and materials. This paper focused on a specific design approach for the rehabilitation works of ancient constructions at archaeological sites. The proposed approach implies different steps that allow for design optimization at an increasing knowledge level of the existing structures. In the archaeological area, some crucial design aspects cannot be defined before the execution work phase, since some elements can only be revealed and identified during work execution. As a consequence, the final design has often been optimized after all the information has been acquired. A studied case at the archaeological site of Pompeii is herein presented to prove the efficiency of the proposed approach. This methodology reduces the uncertainty related due to the ancient material performance, to the level of damage and to the effectiveness of the rehabilitation work, unknown at the design stage.

Digital transformation and tourist experience co-design: Big social data for planning cultural tourism

Digital transformation has completely changed the demand/offering interaction in the travel industry, as well as largely affecting the customer journey. In this direction, “big social data” and user-generated content have become key sources of well-timed and rich knowledge supporting data driven decision approaches addressed the managing of complex relationships. Based on this theoretical framework, the paper suggests how to apply “big social data” in the tourist experience co-design, providing an increased value for the visitors and a better decision making approach for managers. In this respect, the field analysis concentrated specifically on user-generated content regarding the Pompeii Archaeological Site (P.A.S.), to trace valuable insights for the tourist experience. Based on double stage of research – netnographic analysis and a supplementary online survey – the study aimed to detect: (a) tourist perception on the P.A.S.; (b) random chat on the part of internet users (tourists and other browsers, not necessarily visitors) on the topic of the P.A.S.; (c) the main characteristics of the P.A.S. that attract internet user attention; (d) the main topics debated by influencers/opinion leaders managing online discussions on the P.A.S. managerial and theoretical implications were investigated highlighting the main limitations of the study as well.

Multidrum Stone Columns at the Pompeii Archaeological Site: Analysis of Geometrical Properties and State of Preservation

The seismic vulnerability of ancient free-standing multidrum stone columns is an important issue for the preservation of Greek and Roman archaeological sites. Such elements show a complex and highly non-linear dynamic behavior, requiring specific and sophisticated structural analysis. Different numerical studies on the dynamic behavior of ancient multidrum stone columns found that their seismic response is sensitive to their geometrical parameters, as well as to the material elastic properties, the kinetic coefficient of friction and the amplitude and frequency of the seismic action. Therefore, in the present research, a detailed survey of free-standing multidrum stone columns representative of a wide range of elements at the Pompeii Archaeological site was developed to provide a primary evaluation of the seismic vulnerability of such elements based on their geometrical properties. The study focuses on 103 multidrum grey-tuff columns, from four areas at the site: tetrastyle atrium of Casa del Fauno at Regio VI and Quadriportico dei Teatri, Foro Triangolare and Palestra Sannitica at Regio VIII. Grey tuff was a typically locally sourced natural stone, used as a building material in ancient Pompeii. The research areas included both private (Casa del Fauno) and public buildings (Quadriportico dei Teatri, Foro Triangolare and Palestra Sannitica). The mean overall geometrical properties affecting the seismic behavior of the columns in each research area and the discussion of the collected results are herein presented.

Modeling Roman Pavements Using Heritage-BIM: A Case Study in Pompeii

The study of ancient stone pavements represents the necessary premise for planning and execution of treatments that considers the necessity of conservation. The approach to the integrated management of information derived through H-BIM has been applied to Via del Vesuvio, one of the main roads in the archaeological site of Pompeii in Naples, Italy. The digital terrain model was carried out using Autodesk Infraworks software. Then, using Autodesk Civil 3D and Revit software, the road was digitalized creating the 3D model that included road geometric information resulting from an on-site survey, material characteristics for each pavement layer, construction period and related construction cost information. Finally, based on the existing research works available in the literature review, using Autodesk Naviswork software, it was possible to implement in the 3D model the BIM fourth dimension, namely, the time related to the construction of Via Del Vesuvio in different eras. The interoperability between the adopted BIM authoring software was exploited. The adopted procedure can be considered a benchmark case in the technical literature of H-BIM for stone pavements, highlighting the advantages in the design field.

Remote-sensing hyperspectral imaging for applications in archaeological areas: Non-invasive investigations on wall paintings and on mural inscriptions in the Pompeii site

Hyper-Spectral Imaging (HSI) is nowadays a well-established technology in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH), being acknowledged as a highly effective tool for accomplishing both non-invasive diagnostics and documentation of different typologies of polychrome artworks. Until recently, in CH field HSI technique has been mainly applied for investigating polychrome surfaces of small or medium size objects in museum collections, such as easel paintings, illuminated manuscripts or paper based artifacts. Conversely, the outdoor applications of HSI on large mural surfaces, wall paintings, frescoes and archeological assets are still mostly unexplored. This is due to the fact that the HSI systems designed for CH applications usually work at short-distance from the targets and can cover only limited size surfaces. To overcome this limitation, and to extend the applications of HSI to investigating mural paintings in external contexts, cloisters, ceilings, or assets in archaeological sites, a remote-sensing approach, based on the use of readapted avionic sensors, has been considered and tested in-field.This work illustrates the results of the measurements campaigns carried out in the archaeological site of Pompeii (Italy) by means of remote-sensing HSI technology. To this purpose, the high-performance prototype SIMGA, an avionic hyperspectral imager developed by Leonardo Company for earth-surface observations, was employed for the first time in an archeological context, within the framework of the wider project “Great Pompeii Project”. HSI measurements were performed on different types of wall surfaces, including mural paintings and mural inscriptions. On the wall paintings, the acquired HSI data proved to be effectively usable for identification of most of pictorial materials and for mapping their distributions. The presence of gypsum as marker of degradation phenomena could be detected and mapped. On mural inscriptions, the HSI data could be suitably processed to enhance some vanishing traits, hardly perceivable by visual inspection. The proposed approach provided evidence that HSI is a promising tool to retrieve some faded parts of partially lost texts of mural inscriptions in archeological contexts.

New insights to assess the consolidation of stone materials used in built heritage: the case study of ancient graffiti (Tituli Picti) in the archaeological site of Pompeii

Tituli Picti are an ancient form of urban graffiti very common in the archaeological site of Pompeii (Naples, South—Italy). They are generally made of red pigments applied on walls of Campanian ignimbrite. This paper deals with a scientific investigation aimed to their conservation. This is a challenging task since it requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes restorers, archaeologists and conservation scientists. The study has provided suggestions on the proper way to conserve Tituli Picti over time. In the present work, several specimens of Campanian ignimbrite were painted with red earth pigment; lime and Arabic gum have been used as binders as well. Such painted stones were treated with three consolidants: a suspension of reactive nanoparticles of silica, ethyl silicate and an acrylic microemulsion. Treated and untreated specimens were subjected to thermal aging, artificial solar radiation and induced crystallization decay. It has been assessed the colorimetric variations induced by treatments. Moreover, the micromorphologic features of the consolidated surfaces have been highlighted by means of electron microscope observations. The scotch tape test allowed to compare the superficial cohesion induced by the three used products. According to the results, ethyl silicate seems to represent the most successful product.

In-plane and out-of-plane seismic vulnerability assessment of an ancient colonnade in the archaeological site of Pompeii (Italy)

The paper presents the results of an investigation carried out about the construction technique, the mechanical behaviour and the seismic response of some selected masonry remains in the archaeological site of Pompeii. In particular, the portion of the ancient colonnade dating back to the 1st century BC and located to the east of the civil forum of Pompeii is studied. Since this colonnade is a classic example of a rigid-block structure, its seismic vulnerability level is assessed performing a rigid-block model through the computer program BrickWORK, a tool developed by the authors. In-plane and out-of-plane non-linear analyses are carried out, considering both the horizontal uniform and the linear lateral load pattern to simulate the actions of an earthquake. In each analyzed case, the vulnerability level is assessed by detecting the collapse mechanism and the spectral acceleration of activation. Collapse mechanisms are detected by the program and graphically shown through its visual user interface. Furthermore, the influence of the joint inclination on the mechanical response of the structure is investigated considering various inclination angles of the joints between the stones of the lintel.

Mineralogical clustering of the structural mortars from the Sarno Baths, Pompeii: A tool to interpret construction techniques and relative chronologies

Abstract Structural mortars constitute one of the most diffuse geomaterials, with stones and bricks, in ancient monuments and architectural complexes, especially related to the Roman civilization, which pushed the binder technology to technical levels unsurpassed until post-industrial revolution times. The archaeometric study of mortars is an essential tool to extrapolate great amounts of information concerning supply of raw materials, technological skills of the ancient civilizations and, finally, relative and absolute chronologies of diachronic construction phases, both related to ancient and modern architectural modifications of the buildings. In this contribution, a novel approach for the quantitative mineralogical analysis of ancient mortars is proposed. The analytical process is based on the integrated application of quantitative phase analysis (QPA) of mineral components by means of the Rietveld method applied to X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) data and multivariate statistical treatment of the obtained results by means of the principal component analysis. The methodology has been applied on a wide set of binding materials sampled from different structural elements of the Sarno Baths, a five-storey building located in the Pompeii archaeological site. The building is characterized by a marked complexity both in terms of structural layout and constructive techniques, being the result of several modifications in ancient times from the Late Republican age up to the Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD. Furthermore, several poorly documented restorations have been performed between the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century AD. In this perspective, a quantitative characterization of the employed mortars resulted useful not only to define ancient constructive technologies and relative chronologies, but also to discriminate between the original and restored parts of the building for the execution of adequate restoration procedures. The statistical clustering of the quantitative XRPD data clearly defined two ancient constructive phases and allowed a precise definition of the structural elements rebuilt in recent times. Furthermore, the obtained results have been cross-checked with additional analyses, namely XRD analyses on the separated binder fractions, petrographic analyses and scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive microanalyses. Such multi-analytical approach allowed the detailed characterization of the employed raw materials, of the pozzolanic reactions between binder and aggregate and of the textural and microstructural characteristics of the mortars. The data interpretation yielded interesting insights both on the advanced optimization of mix designs of binding materials in Roman times, to improve the structural properties of the architectural elements according to their functions, and on the formulation of the restoration products during the historic excavations in Pompeii.

Applications of Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology

Applications of Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology

Tituli Picti in the archaeological site of Pompeii: diagnostic analysis and conservation strategies

In the archaeological site of Pompeii, epigraphs Tituli Picti applied on stone, such as Campanian ignimbrite in Oscan and Latin language, were surveyed by different authors. Although there are several publications concerning the building materials and artefacts of Pompeii, the scientific literature lacks of studies regarding the knowledge and conservation of such paints. The diagnostic and conservation project is aimed at determining the execution technique, as well as at defining the state of conservation of the Tituli Picti realized on the Campanian ignimbrite. In addition, the study will provide experimental data useful to suggest proper conservation procedures, mainly in terms of protective and consolidating products to be used. Results carried out by means of Optical Microscopy, Electron Probe Microanalysis, portable XRF and portable Raman techniques revealed that the epigraphs were applied on the stone surface, without any setting layer. Hematite-based red ochre was detected as pigment. On the contrary, it is still unclear if any substance was used to bind the pigment on the stone substrate. The subsequent stage of the project will include the reproduction of Tituli Picti in laboratory and the development of suitable conservation procedures to be tested in situ.

Wind-driven rain as a bioclimatic factor affecting the biological colonization at the archaeological site of Pompeii, Italy

The weathering role of Wind-Driven Rain (WDR) on buildings is widely recognised from a physical point of view, but the influence of WDR on Biological Growth (BG) on stone materials to cause biodeterioration is still not well studied. Following our previous results from the Roman area, the UNESCO site of Pompeii for its importance was selected to further test relationships between WDR and BG. We collated and analysed climatic data (rainfall, direction and intensity of winds) between 2010 and 2015 to delineate the thermo-pluvial diagram and extrapolate Dominant Winds (DW) and WDR. Data on BG, consisting mainly of cyanobacteria, algae and lichens, were also collected through sampling, direct observations and analysis of high-quality photos. The climatic elaborations highlighted a dominance of the West wind influencing WDR. The BG was more prominent on the northern and western exposures, while it was considerably less extensive on the southern walls. Our results also showed that water from WDR, together with the lower temperature in the northern exposure and poor ventilation, can all affect wetness and had a profound role in the promotion of BG. Our analyses suggest that the protection of building walls should be different according to the exposure conditions in the formulation of preventive strategies for conservation.

Biofilm architecture on different substrates of an Oculatella subterranea (Cyanobacteria) strain isolated from Pompeii archaeological site (Italy).

The Cyanobacterium Oculatella subterranea Zammit, Billi, Albertano inhabits hypogea and stone caves and is a pioneer of different stone substrata. In this study, a strain isolated from the House of Marco Castricio (Archaeological Park of Pompeii, Italy) was identified by a polyphasic approach and used for an in vitro colonization test to verify the influence of the substrate on the biofilm architecture. Fine structure of O. subterranea microbial mats was revealed as well as filaments orientation toward light source. This aim has been achieved through confocal laser scanner microscope microscopy and computer image analysis. Moreover, bioreceptivity of five different substrates, commonly retrieved in archaeological sites of Campania, was assessed for O. subterranea. Our results show that the three-dimensional structure of O. subterranea microbial mats is poorly affected by physical and geochemical features of substrates: in fact, the porous architecture of its biofilm was preserved, independently of the materials. On the other hand, the area/perimeter ratio relative to the O. subterranea growth on tuff, brick, and porphyry showed significant differences, indicating dissimilar levels of bioreceptivity of the three substrates.