Campbell, L. and Hack, C. (2024) pXRF and polychromy: identifying pigments on limestone statuary from the Roman limes, preliminary results. Heritage, 7(3), pp. 1701-1726. (doi: 10.3390/heritage7030080)
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Abstract
This paper presents the preliminary results of an investigation on the unexplored topic of polychromy on provincial stone sculptures from the Roman provinces in Germania through the innovative application of heritage materials science techniques. A group of three life-sized statues dating to the 1st Century CE recovered from Ingelheim, near Mainz, retains remarkably well-preserved traces of pigments. These are ripe for emerging non-invasive technologies supplemented by micro-sampling to validate results and provide information relating to mixing and layering not available to the naked eye. The most strikingly visible areas of extant polychromy were retained on the sculpture of a young woman, reported on here as the first phase of this programme of research. The results suggest that the statue was originally covered in a gypsum layer before the application of complex and diverse recipes of pigment applied as mixtures and in layers to create required hues and shadowing on sculpted features. The palette includes ochres and green earth mixed with small amounts of minium (red lead), realgar and lapis lazuli (ultramarine blue) added to create skin tones, and a vibrant blue-green tunic created from Egyptian blue, bone black, ochres, cinnabar and green earth; the palla and peplos contained ochres, bone black, and orpiment, and mixes of these created the detail of coloured jewellery. Of great interest was the detection of bone black on many features, particularly as a shading agent to enhance sculpted features, such as folds in cloth, providing a more realistic and flowing articulation. This is a revolutionary observation that provides previously unexplored insights into artistic polychromic practice in Antiquity.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This research was funded by grants from Historic Environment Scotland (Grant Number HEAP2470491033), the University of Glasgow’s Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Leadership Fellowship and museum4punkt0, a project funded by the Federal Government Commission for Culture and Media on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Campbell, Dr Louisa |
| Authors: | Campbell, L., and Hack, C. |
| College/School: | College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Archaeology |
| Journal Name: | Heritage |
| Publisher: | MDPI |
| ISSN: | 2571-9408 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2571-9408 |
| Published Online: | 18 March 2024 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2024 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Heritage 7(3):1701-1726 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons license |
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