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The Volterran Urns: E truscan Painting and Travertine Supply
Author(s) -
Gliozzo E.,
Spangenberg J. E.,
Sorge E.,
Memmi I.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/arcm.12082
Subject(s) - outcrop , mineralogy , provenance , geology , painting , art , archaeology , chemistry , geochemistry , geography , visual arts
The artistic evolution of the V olterran cinerary urns is a good representation of E truscan painting from the fourth to the first century bc . The interest generated by this type of object directed our research towards the study of the V olterran artefacts, including the analysis of the pigments as well as that of the rocks used for the coffers. The entire colour range shown by the painted urns has been sampled and investigated through R aman microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Rock samples were taken both from the urns and from outcrops in ancient carbonate rock quarries near V olterra, from where they may potentially have been sourced. A set of 30 samples was collected and submitted to stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses. The results obtained showed that the pigments used for the decoration of the V olterran urns were basically constituted by red ochre, E gyptian blue, carbon black and gypsum. The identification of lead‐based pigments and barium sulphates further informed us about old restorations undergone by several urns. As far as the provenance issue is concerned, the isotopic data indicate that the rocks used for the four urns were favourably comparable to those outcropping at Pignano, while two other urns were more similar to those sampled along the E lsa R iver at C olle V al d' E lsa.