title: Raman microspectroscopic analysis of decorative pigments from the Roman villa of El Ruedo (Almedinilla, Spain).
abstract: In this work, we analysed the preparatory layer and paintings in the hypocaustum of the Roman villa of El Ruedo (Almedinilla, southern Spain). The specimens studied were from the III and IV centuries. Raman microscopy was for the first time used here to examine Roman pictures in the south of the Iberian peninsula. The results obtained allowed us to establish the chemical nature of the different pigments used by the Roman artists. All were applied over a preparatory layer consisting of limewash. The different colours used (black, white, red, yellow, green and blue) were obtained by using carbon, calcite, gypsum, hematite, goethite, green earth and Egyptian blue. Some exhibited various hues that were obtained by mixing the previous compounds. Worth special note is the incipient presence of blue pigments, which were rarely used in Roman Hispania owing to their scarcity and high price.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie, Carretera Nacional IV-A, km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura Dara
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Mateos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie, Carretera Nacional IV-A, km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cosano
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie, Carretera Nacional IV-A, km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.affiliation: Ecomuseo del Río Caicena-Museo Histórico de Almedinilla, Paraje Fuente Rivera, 14812 Almedinilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muñiz
authors.affiliation: Museo Histórico Municipal de Priego, Carrera de las Monjas, 14800 Priego de Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie, Carretera Nacional IV-A, km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Sanchidrián
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Marie Curie, Carretera Nacional IV-A, km. 396, 14071 Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: qo1ruarj@uco.es.
authors.forename: José Rafael
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ruiz
keywords: Archaeological pigments; Egyptian blue; Hematite; Raman spectroscopy