What do we know of Roman wall painting technique? Potential confounding factors in ancient paint media analysis

Heritage Science

Table 1 Relationship between extraction protocols used and painting techniques hypothesized

Research group^a	Type of work	Provenance	Date	No. of samples	Extractor yield (%) (dried extract/ scraped paint)	Painting technique	References
1	Wall painting	Pompeii	First century AD	2	0.04–0.02 (estimate)	Wheatpaste-based paint	[11]
	Wall painting	Liternum, Campania	First century AD	1	0.04–0.02	Wheatpaste-based paint	[12]
	Wall painting	Pompeii	Four Pompeian styles third to second century BC to first century AD	4	0.07–0.01	Wheatpaste-based paint	[13, 14]
2	Wall painting	Ampurias, Cartagena, Baelo Claudia	First century BC to second century AD	8	25.58–14.34	Beeswax emulsion	[15]
	Wall painting	Mérida	Second century AD	6	No data	Beeswax emulsion	[16]
		Complutum	Third century AD	2
		Marsala	Third century AD	4
3	Wall painting	Herculaneum	Before 79 AD	4	No data	Egg tempera: 2 samples Undetermined: 2 samples	[17]
	Painted wooden ceiling	Herculaneum	Before 79 AD	17	No data	Egg tempera	[18]
	Wall painting	Pylos, Mycenas	Before 1180 BC	23	No data	Egg tempera: 11 samples Egg + glue tempera: 4 samples Egg + gum + starch/honey? Tempera: 4 samples Egg + gum tempera: 1 sample Animal glue tempera: 1 sample Undetermined: 2 samples	[19]
	Painted alabaster sarcophagus	Tarquinia, Etruria	Fourth century BC	1	No data	Egg tempera	[20]
	Wall painting	Sarteano, Etruria	Fourth century BC	9	0.06–0.01	Egg tempera	[21]
4	Wall painting	Herculaneum	No data	11	No data	Fresco	[3]
4	Wall painting	Pompeii	First century AD	4	No data	Fresco	[23]