SALOTTO ETRUSCO

05 December 2023 – 6 PM
registration at eventi@isvroma.org

Laura Ambrosini
”Some remarks on the plaster polychromy of the Hellenistic rock-cut necropolis of Norchia”

The monumental rock-cut necropolis of Norchia (VT) with its semi-cube tombs is an excellent example of the ancient landscape, characterized by similar funerary types even after the Romanization. The study analyzes the polychromies of the plaster on the sub-façade chamber of a tomb partially excavated in Norchia in 2019 in the Acqua Alta zone. The study is then also extended to the reconstruction of the original polychromies of the façades of the other Hellenistic rock-cut tombs of Norchia, and those of southern Etruria, especially in the Viterbo area. The plaster analysis carried out, both in situ and on small samples (Fiber Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence, X-Ray Diffractometry, Stratigraphic Sections analyzed with Scanning Electron Microscope, Mineral-Petrographic analyzes), allows us to learn more about the technique of manufacturing plaster and its coloring. This is an almost exceptional case study since the remains of such well-preserved plaster are not easily found.

Laura Ambrosini is Research Director at the Istituto di Scienze del Patrimonio Culturale at the Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome since 2020. She is currently leading the excavations at the necropolis of Norchia.