The current work deals with specific investigations on the ceramic fragment samples from the archaeological site of Topolița (Eastern Romania), which is essentially unexplored to date. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has shown that the ceramics contain quartz, berlinite, mica (muscovite), calcite, and opaque minerals, such as hematite. All evidence indicates the use of raw materials with a low limestone content (poor Ca clays) for the manufacture of these ceramics (Ca < 3.6%). The wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) measurements indicated the presence of Al, Si, Fe, Ca, Zn, P, and K. All these data are well correlated with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), which is used as an additional technique of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Through thermogravimetry and porosimetry, some information have been obtained, with the results being correlated with the chromatic parameters that characterize the samples after burning: Various shades of color (red color with sparkles and partially or totally black interior), differently colored engobes, white pigment encrusted with white color from calcite, gypsum, clays, and quartz, as well as carbon deposits in the pores of the pottery, all specific to the Chalcolithic ceramics from this region. The recorded FTIR spectra of these samples led to the identification of calcite, quartz, gypsum, and aluminum phosphate, present as berlinite in all the pottery specific to this area. In addition, the presence/absence and the amount of specific chemical elements in the white pigments (e.g., calcium, aluminum, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur) could be used as indicative for the identified mineral compounds (XRD and FTIR). Calcite and silica-rich sediments as the primary decoration pigments, have been identified in this case.

The aim of the paper is a spectral study of a mural fresco from Serbesti wooden church, Dambovita county, partially painted, a historical monument from 1828 (or 1804 after some other documents). Spectral techniques as X-ray Fluorescence wavelengths dispersive (WDXRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) or Raman spectroscopy, have been used in order to highlight the presence of the degradation processes. Also, the chromatic parameters have been used as additional data in order to observe the discoloring aspect of these mural fresco.

(1) Background: Due to the precarious situation of many monuments or archeological sites, analytical investigations are necessary to obtain information about the used materials, as well as to identify the most appropriate solutions for their conservation/restoration. This paper addresses the characterization of mural painting fragments collected during the excavation in 2018 in Rapoltu Mare (La vie), Deva. (2) Methods: Specific analytical techniques were used, as follows: X-ray diffractometry (XRD), wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), optical microscopy (OM), zoom microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), spectroscopic techniques (UV–Vis, FTIR, Raman), porosity and thermal analysis, all of which provide information about the structure, chemical composition, morphology and topography of pigments and their deterioration as well. (3) Results: Up to seven different pigments were identified: Egyptian blue, carbon, calcite, gypsum, hematite, goethite and green earth. Egyptian Blue is identified in all the other color areas, except the white area: in the green zone (as degradation product with beeswax) and in the red zone (in mixture with ochre) too. In addition, carbon and beeswax were highlighted as toner and binder for pigments, respectively. In the presence of the organic beeswax binding environment, the Egyptian blue pigment particles darkened or turned yellow significantly, changing the blue to a greenish color. It is also possible to identify wollastonite (CaSiO3) in the blue pigment, which indicates that the temperature used in the manufacturing of Egyptian blue was higher than 950 °C from thermal analysis. The presence of apatite, hematite and gypsum deposits in the Hunedoara region certifies that these pigments could have been of local origin, as demonstrated by the presence of analytically identified elements (Fe, P, S, Ca). (4) Conclusions: The analytical techniques used for such investigations have highlighted the main pigments used in Roman times for various Roman murals.

Currently, approximately 70% of paintings in museum collections are affected by the presence of metallic soaps, evidenced by spherical globules visible on the surface of the paintings. They are responsible for altering the paintings’ surface through processes such as exfoliation and cracking, or even in the form of surface “skins” that appear in the pictorial layers. The objective of this study is the investigation of the icon paintings from Saint Mary Monastery, Techirghiol, Romania, which underwent some restoration procedures. This study is so important/significant, due to the presence of efflorescence that is correlated with the conversion of some fatty acids, as palmitic acid, stearic acid and azelaic acid, in the so-called metallic soaps through the reaction of the metals contained in the pigments from the painting layer and the binder. The investigated paintings are strongly affected by zinc carboxylate aggregation, and for this, the sample was embedded in polyester resin and the obtained cross-section, after polishing, was investigated by microscopic techniques (optical microscopy (OM), stereomicroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with electronic dispersion spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and gas-chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in good agreement with data from the literature. The potential result of this study is the identification and quantification of the metallic soap generated as a white deposit (probably salts, a kind of white efflorescence), from the binding medium of the metal carboxylate ionomer, by the crystallization of saturated fatty acids, through polymerization in oil. Six pigments (calcite, lithopone, carbon black, red ochre, vermilion, and ultramarine), present in the sublayers of the samples were identified.

In this paper was studied eight bivalve shells (with pigments traces) collected from Cheia archaeological site (Eneolitihic site, dated between the end of the 6th millennium and the beginning of the 5th millennium cal BC, Romania), in order to established correlations related to morphology, composition, longevity and belonging to the archaeological site of these shells. The samples (pigments and shells) were investigated, from morphological and chemical composition point of view, by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and attenuated total reflectance - Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were carry out using IBM SPSS Statistics software to assess the similarities between the investigated samples