The roman Villa of Aiano-Torraccia di Chiusi (IV-V century A.D., Siena, Italy) represented a unique context in the panorama of Central Tuscany, as it belong to a period generally considered poor of large roman residences and was located in a territory where the existence of these structures is still under discussion [1] (Cavalieri, 2007). The sectilia glass fragments excavated at the Villa [2] represent a considerable corpus concerning both the number of fragments (around 1700) and the variability of colors and techniques. The relevance of the sectilia repertory was suggested by the high quality of glass manufacturing and the large number of color shades used to reproduce marine scenes. Specific analytical strategies were thus required to deal with the huge amount of samples during conservation works and archaeometric studies, respecting at the same time the integrity of the materials. Due to their flexibility and low analytical costs, portable and non-invasive analytical techniques were thus considered during a preliminary phase in order to provide a fast and quite accurate definition of the chemical and mineralogical properties of each sample and a first classification of the large amount of pieces in compositional clusters. Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS) allowed a first definition of the degree of compositional standardization of the samples and provided indications about both manufacturing and coloring techniques. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM-EDS) were also performed on selected samples for an in-depth structural, chemical and mineralogical investigation of selected glasses.
Preliminary Archaeometric Investigation of Opus Sectile Glass Fragments from the Roman Villa of Aiano-Torraccia di Chiusi (San Gimignano, Siena)
S Bracci;
2018
Abstract
The roman Villa of Aiano-Torraccia di Chiusi (IV-V century A.D., Siena, Italy) represented a unique context in the panorama of Central Tuscany, as it belong to a period generally considered poor of large roman residences and was located in a territory where the existence of these structures is still under discussion [1] (Cavalieri, 2007). The sectilia glass fragments excavated at the Villa [2] represent a considerable corpus concerning both the number of fragments (around 1700) and the variability of colors and techniques. The relevance of the sectilia repertory was suggested by the high quality of glass manufacturing and the large number of color shades used to reproduce marine scenes. Specific analytical strategies were thus required to deal with the huge amount of samples during conservation works and archaeometric studies, respecting at the same time the integrity of the materials. Due to their flexibility and low analytical costs, portable and non-invasive analytical techniques were thus considered during a preliminary phase in order to provide a fast and quite accurate definition of the chemical and mineralogical properties of each sample and a first classification of the large amount of pieces in compositional clusters. Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS) allowed a first definition of the degree of compositional standardization of the samples and provided indications about both manufacturing and coloring techniques. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM-EDS) were also performed on selected samples for an in-depth structural, chemical and mineralogical investigation of selected glasses.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
