Víctor Jesús Medina Flórez

Las pinturas murales de Castvlo. Primeras aportaciones a la caracterización de materiales y técnicas de ejecución

This article sets forth the research carried out on the wall paintings of the “Sala del Mosaico de los Amores” in the archaeological site of Castulo, located in Linares (province of Jaen). The research in 2011 discovered a room with high-quality wall and mosaic decoration, especially on its western wall, which had collapsed over the pavement. It was moved to the laboratories of the University of Granada for consolidation and restoration works. Since previous information on wall paintings from Castulo was scarce, before the restoration took place the paintings were studied, including the characterization of the materials and painting techniques. These tests identified a very rich pictorial layer, consisting of green, red, ochre, white and black tones, among which some high-quality pigments stand out, such as the Egyptian blue, together with others that usually appear in the Roman palette, as red lead, red ochres, bone-black or calcium carbonate.