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Pontecagnano (SE of Salerno) archaeological site, the ancient town of Amina (renamed “Picentia” by the Romans) is the largest Etruscan outpost in the south (Camporeale, 2013; Cerchiai, 2013; Cuozzo, 2013). Archaeological investigations - started since the 1960s - certify the area has been inhabited as early as late Neolithic. At the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC the area was settled by peoples of Gaudo culture, probably immigrated from Anatolia. Gaudo population worked metals, as testified from copper daggers and other weapons excavated from more than 9.000 tombs in the area. The National Archaeological Museum of the Agro Picentino was instituted in 2007 and contains more than 8000 findings mainly related to tomb outfits (Tocco, 2007). The main Etruscan settlement was founded between the end of the X and beginning of IX century b.C. on the left side of the Picentino river. The period of its greatest development was the “Orientalizing” age (end of VIII-VII century b.C.), when great and wealthy aristocratic families (the so-called “Princes”) took the power, as also testified by precious artifacts found in the Pontecagnano burials. Then, the settlement took urban connotations, becoming a frontier community. This work deals with mineralogical and geochemical characterization of various metallic artifacts spanning in age from early Eneolithic/Bronze Age to IV century b.C. by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and micro Xray fluorescence m-XRF. The objects are of different types (fibulae, rings, earrings, spears, pins, ingots, slags, etc.), and are mainly composed of lead, copper, silver and bronze. The bronze artifacts are high-Sn (17.3 to 27.4 %, Sn), as expected by ancient alloys; lead and iron, as well as titanium and nickel to a lesser extent, can be also present as minor to trace components. The silver artifacts can contain small amounts of copper, iron and gold; in one case a copper object (91.4 % Cu) also shows other metallic components, as lead (4.8 %), bismuth (2.6 %) and iron (1.1 %). Interesting microstructures are also observed. Finally, the combined use of two spectroscopic techniques allowed us to verify the potential of m-XRF in archaeometallurgy sector in order to carry out non-destructive and non-invasive analyses. Camporeale G. 2013. Vetulonia e Pontecagnano. Due centri etruschi della prima età del Ferro. In: F. Cerchiai L. (2013) Tra Capua e Pontecagnano. La valle del Sarno e la Campania interna tra il Ferro e l’Orientalizzante. In: F. Rafanelli (Ed.) Vetulonia, Pontecagnano e Capua. Vite parallele di tre città etrusche. ARA Edizioni, 30-33. Cuozzo M. 2013. I “principi” di Pontecagnano. In: F. Rafanelli (Ed.) Vetulonia, Pontecagnano e Capua. Vite parallele di tre città etrusche. ARA Edizioni, 40-43. Tocco G. 2007. Guida al Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Pontecagnano. Soprintendenza Beni Archeologici SA-AV-BN, 50 p.

The ancient town of Allifae (modern Alife) represents one of the most interesting settlements of the Northern Campania area that, together with the ancient city of Cales, was a thriving production centre of pottery. Excavations carried out inside the city wall, near the south gate, the so-called Porta Fiume, unearthed a huge dump of thin walled ware where the most abundant forms were cups and beakers, decorated with grooves or rouletting. The dump has been dated Augustan/ early Tiberian age (20 b.C.- 20 AD) and the thin walled vessels found can be identified with similar wares from Allifae, Cubulteria, Caiatia and perhaps Neapolis. Horace in his Sermones (II, 8,39) cited the Allifana beakers (described as fictiles ac subtiles by a Horace scholiast) and they could possibly be identified with the thin walled wares produced in Allifae. If this the case, then the thin walled vessels produced in Allifae were known in Rome as early as the end of I century B.C. In order to investigate and characterise the Allifae thin-walled pottery, twenty-one samples were selected and mineralogical-petrographic analyses (OM, XRPD, XRF and SEM/EDS) were carried out. The clayey raw material used was a low-CaO alluvial clayey deposit from the Middle Valley of the Volturno River. The potters probably handled the sediment by a levigation process in order to remove the coarser grains, and making the clay suitable to produce such thin walls. Comparison with other regional production of thin-walled pottery allowed us to strictly distinguish the Allifana beakers.

The purpose of this research is to provide a new mixture of Campanian zeolitized tuffs for solving two specific problems in the production of white wines: the protein and tartaric stability. In fact, a very frequent cause of turbidity and formation of organic deposits in white wines is the occurrence of thermolabile and thermostable proteins colloidal suspensions which precipitate in time, especially in summertime and during the storage and transport. Normally, to mitigate this risk wine producers use organic and inorganic stabilizers and clarifiers. The best known treatment, recognized also by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) foresees the use of bentonite with a montmorillonite content not lower than 80%. The present paper aims at evaluating the use of two high zeolite grade Italian volcanoclastites such as the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) and the Yellow Facies of the Campanian Ignimbrite (YFCI), in the treatment of three peculiar white wines of the Campanian region (Southern Italy): Falanghina, Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo. Granulates were produced starting from tuff blocks as provided by quarries. Some grain size fractions have been prepared to investigate the zeolite content (phillipsite + chabazite + analcime) by X-ray diffraction (XRD). A 2-5 mm grain size fraction was chosen for NYT and a 5-10 mm for YFCI. Three Campanian monocultivar white wines were used for the test: the Falanghina 2006 vintage, the Fiano di Avellino DOCG 2007 vintage, and the Greco di Tufo DOCG 2008 vintage. 48 samples with mixture of the zeolitized tuffs, 1 sample with mixture of a synthetic zeolite A and 1 sample with mixture of a commercial sodium activated bentonite were prepared. ICP-OES analysis for the determination of ECEC, Ion Chromatography (IC) analyses for the determination of some major cations and Turbidimetric tests for the definition of the protein stabilization process before and after treatments were also carried out. It was evidenced that high zeolitized tuff/wine ratios enable the protein stabilization whereas a significant decrease of potassium ion after the treatment with a zeolite-rich powder improves the tartaric stability, a serious problem in all the wine productions. The results of these tests refer to a laboratory scale research. A transfer of the experiment to a pilot plant scale is in progress.

The island of Vivara represents today one of the most important sites for the study of the relations between the Mycenaean world and Western Mediterranean cultures of the Bronze Age. This report presents the most significant results acquired through archaeological excavations in the last decade of research: the main housing structures, the corpus of Aegean-Mycenaean ceramics, the study of the topographical characteristics of the settlement, the traces of the ancient prehistoric port preserved under the surface of the sea. Further important results in the fields of petrographic, bioarchaeological, archaeometallurgical and three-dimensional surveys carried out with scanlaser, stereophotogrammetry and aerofotogrammetry are added.

The Tomb of the Diver has been subject for many decades of fierce debate among archaeologists and classicists. Since its discovery in 1968, some scholars have considered it a unique example of the lost tradition of Greek painting, others have emphasized Etruscan or Italic parallels. More recently, a possible local production has been suggested. With the aim of trying to solve the archaeological question, an archaeometric comparison among this well-known artwork and several frescoed tombs coming from Hellenistic and Lucan necropolis was carried out. The multi-analytical study was focused on the identification of peculiar features of executive techniques and raw materials since the first period of the archaeological site. The analytical investigation has been preliminary based on a non-destructive approach, performed in-situ by portable equipment including imaging diagnostics and compositional spectroscopic techniques for identifying pigments and the conservation state of original painted surface; subsequently, a further deepening by using destructive techniques was performed in-lab for the mortar-based supports characterization. Archaeometric study suggested that technological choices slightly changed in a time span of about two centuries, highlighting important markers that allow clustering the contemporary artistic productions. Moreover, a comparison with mortars from temples decorations was provided to better understand the whole artistic context. The archaeometric data showed that the Tomb of the Diver could be traced back to a local artisanal tradition and therefore is neither Etruscan nor Greek, but the first and foremost an expression of the local elite culture of Paestum.

Thirty artefacts from the Archaeological Park of Paestum were investigated by means of scientific techniques on the occasion of the 2016 exhibition 'Possessione. Trafugamenti e falsi di antichita a Paestum'. The multi-analytic diagnostic campaign was aimed at identifying forgeries. Results provided a deeper understanding of both ancient technology and contemporary forgery techniques.

The technological performance of a chabazite-rich rock belonging to the Campanian Ignimbrite formation, outcropping in the nearby of San Mango sul Calore (southern Italy), has been evaluated for the sorption and release of ibuprofen sodium salt after a surface modification of the starting geomaterial using two different chlorinated surfactants. Equilibrium sorption isotherms and in vitro loading tests demonstrated that the maximum sorption capacities of this geomaterial reach up to 24.5 and 13.5 mg/g, respectively, for zeolite modified with cetylpyridinium and benzalkonium. These results, obtained by non-linear mathematical modeling of the experimental curves, are definitely compatible with the concentrations of the most common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) in wastewaters, which have been recently considered as contaminants of emerging concern. This investigation also encourages a new possible sustainable exploitation of the lithified yellow facies of Campanian Ignimbrite, although future developments will be focused on using more stable and eco-friendlier two-tailed surfactants.

The Bobaomby volcanic field (10–11 Ma) is the northernmost volcanic area of Madagascar, and is a monogenetic volcanic field comprising outcrops of lava flows, dykes, scoria cones, tuff rings and plugs, widely scattered over an area of roughly 500 km2. The volcanic rocks range in composition from nephelinite, basanite and tephrite, through tephritic phonolite, to F- and Cl-rich peralkaline phonolite (MgO from 13 to 0.01 wt%), and the serial affinity varies from sodic to potassic. A few mica-amphibole-rich lamprophyric dykes have tephritic composition and ultrapotassic affinity. The mafic lavas host intrusive xenoliths with evident cumulate features (wehrlites, composite olivine gabbros s.l., amphibole clinopyroxenites and “kaersutitites”), as well as various types of mantle-derived xenoliths and xenocrysts in the most primitive rocks. The very wide compositional variations of the observed phases (olivine, clinopyroxene, amphibole, oxides, feldspars, feldspathoids, apatite, titanite, aenigmatite and other accessories) in lavas, dykes and cognate xenoliths are fully consistent with the variable degree of differentiation of the host lavas/dykes, and pointing out to limited open-system or polybaric crystallization. The mafic lavas have marked enrichment in incompatible elements and light rare-earth element (LREE) (e.g., Lan/Ybn = 19–27), whereas concave REE patterns are found in the peralkaline phonolites, as a result of removal of accessory titanite starting from tephritic phonolite magmas. The gabbroic/ultramafic xenoliths are interpreted as crustal cumulates of basanitic and tephritic magmas. Several liquid lines of descent in the basanites and tephrites are evident from the trace-element distribution, and from the differing geochemistry of the evolved rocks. The isotopic compositions reach extreme values (e.g., 206Pb/204Pb = 20.065 in the ultrapotassic lamprophyre) when compared to the rest of the Cenozoic/Recent Madagascan volcanic rocks, but similar to those of the Comoros archipelago, suggesting analogies of mantle sources and enrichment processes in the lithosphere of this volcanic archipelago. The origin of the Bobaomby mafic rocks is compatible from a derivation from low degree partial melting of an incompatible element-enriched peridotite source (possibly located in the lowermost lithospheric mantle) rich in volatile-rich phases (pargasite, locally also phlogopite and possibly carbonates), matching the sources of other Cenozoic volcanic areas throughout Madagascar, and perhaps Comoros.

Excavations at the north-eastern side of the city Cumae (modern Cuma) brought to light the Tomba del Banchetto per l’Eternità, a hypogeum chamber tomb with vaulted ceiling built in tuff blocks dated back to the first decades of the 1st century BCE. The exceptional nature of the discovery, resembling an Oscan tradition, is due to the peculiar decorative scheme, reporting a banquet scene and three funerary beds along with a table, reproducing a sort of triclinium.The investigation performed on decorated plasters, in situ by a spectroscopic approach and in-lab via minero-petrographic techniques, allowed us to infer the production technology of wall paintings and mortar-based support, and the type of pigments used for decorating the tomb.The multi-layered plasters were made with specific mix-designs in the different part of the tomb; similarly, different painting techniques were adopted according to the architectural scheme. In the lower part of the walls, lime cocciopesto mortars adhere on the tuff blocks, likely to lend better hydraulic properties to the mortar-based supports in humid and wet environments. This part of the tomb, as well as the funerary beds, was painted in red using the fresco technique. On the other hand, in the upper part of walls and on the vault, the arriccio layer, containing volcanic sand, was covered with a thick and white intonachino layer composed of lime binder, constituting the support for the pictorial layer, applied with a mezzo fresco technique.The investigation on pigments used for wall paintings points out to the use of a characteristic Roman palette, consisting of pure, natural and synthetic pigments (calcite, red and yellow ochre, hematite, organic black pigments, Egyptian blue), and skilful mixtures of colouring materials (mixture of yellow ochre and organic carbon black for the brown, mixture of kaolinite-rich clay, Egyptian blue, and Fe-oxides for grey and mixture of organic –madder- and inorganic pigments for pink).Geographical Coordinates: 40°51’3.13’’N; 14°3’27.33’’E

Porcelain stone used at the early kilns of Arita, Japan, has never been identified due to the lack of written records. Ryumon and Shirakawa deposits are considered to have possibly been exploited before Izumiyama was discovered in the early 1630s, but there are no records or any previous scientific research aimed at resolving such crucial issue. This work presents the first systematic scientific study of clays from the three deposits and shards excavated at early kiln sites. Portable ED-XRF and SEM-EDS were used to identify the chemical compositions of bodies, glazes, and geochemical characteristics of clays. XRD, TG-DSC, and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy were also used for the mineralogical characterization of clay bodies. Results show that the earliest production was marked by the mineralogical characteristics of the available raw materials. A gradual improvement in material selection and processing will lead to the development of the nigoshide (milky-white) body in the mid-17th century.

This research has focused on the assessment of the compositional features and mechanical and antifouling performances of two different mortars formulated for an underwater setting, and which contain Mg(OH)2 as an antifouling agent. Regarding the mechanical characterization, the uniaxial compressive strength and flexural strength were measured. The composition of the materials was explored by differential thermal/thermogravimetric analysis (DTA-TG), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRPD), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) coupled with EDS microanalysis. The assessment of the biological colonization was evaluated with colorimetric analysis and image analysis. The results suggest that both mortars have good mechanical resistance once set underwater. Moreover, the adding of Mg(OH)2 improves the resistance toward biofouling; this was observed both in laboratory and sea-exposed specimens.

High-precision 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages, major and trace element, and radiogenic isotope data are presented for the basanites and alkali basalts forming the southwesternmost monogenetic volcanic field in Madagascar. The volcanic rocks were erupted along fissure zones and aligned cones in a nearly flat area covered by the Cenozoic sediments of the Morondava basin. The high-precision 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages constrain the beginning of the magmatism in the Ankililoaka area to about 12 Ma, significantly earlier than suggested by previously published K/Ar ages. The Ankililoaka basanites include primitive compositions (MgO >10 wt%, Ni >200 ppm and Cr >400 ppm), whereas other basanites and alkali basalts experienced limited removal of olivine, chromiferous spinel and clinopyroxene. Initial Sr and Nd isotope ratios of the basanites are 0.70343–0.70445 and 0.51279–0.51282, respectively. The Pb isotope compositions are in the ranges 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 19.08–19.38, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb = 15.61–15.64 and 208 Pb/ 204 Pb = 39.1–39.4. The alkali basalts have similar 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd and 207 Pb/ 204 Pb, but slightly lower 206 Pb/ 204 Pb and 208 Pb/ 204 Pb than the basanites. The isotopic composition of the Ankililoaka rocks partially overlaps with that of the Cenozoic volcanic mafic rocks of northern Madagascar, and differs significantly from that of the mafic volcanic rocks of central Madagascar, which have lower 206 Pb/ 204 Pb and 207 Pb/ 204 Pb, and higher 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. Major and trace element systematics and geochemical modelling suggest that the Ankililoaka mafic alkaline rocks are low-degree melts of an incompatible element enriched peridotite source starting from depths where garnet is stable. Crustal contamination during ascent was insignificant. We argue that the genesis of the Ankililoaka alkaline magmas was triggered by melting an enriched, volatile-rich lithospheric mantle uplifted in the Cenozoic. Supplementary material: Analytical techniques, X-ray fluorescence whole-rock data, mineral compositions, 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dataset, mantle source modelling and figures showing volcanological features and thin sections are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4065743

The present research deals with the evaluation of a clinoptilolite-rich rock, occurring in the Nižný Hrabovec deposit (Slovakia), for high-value technological applications based on sorption and in vitro release of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (i.e., ibuprofen sodium salt). This georesource was surface modified (SMNZ) using four cationic surfactants. Results demonstrate that ibuprofen sorption is very fast and SMZNs can sorb up to ˜26 mg/g of drug as a function of the type of counterion and morphology of surfactant, as well as the hydrophobicity and molecular structure of the drug. Maximum sorption capacities observed for all SMNZs are fully comparable to other adsorbent carriers usually used for removal of contaminants in wastewaters. Sorption of ibuprofen is controlled by a dual mechanism: external anionic exchange and partition into the hydrophobic portion of the patchy bilayer. A prompt drug release in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) was also observed, making this natural material also suitable to provide rapid soothing effects in potential pharmacological applications. Comparing the results of this study with other recent investigations, a good technological performance of clinoptilolite-rich rock can be inferred despite the relatively low zeolite content (˜56 wt.%).

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Domus of Octavius Quartio occupies the entire insula 2 of Region II in Pompeii, representing one of the most important village of this archaeological site. An interdisciplinary approach has been adopted in order to plan conservative, preventive and restoration actions aimed at the requalification of Pompeii within the frame of "Grande Progetto Pompei" program. 3D Laser scanner surveys and damage diagnosis following Fitzner's method were carried out. The identification and description of weathering forms was carried out using ICOMOS-ISCS and NorMaL 1/88 recommendations, readapted and reinterpreted also for frescoes. Ten different weathering forms were identified; the frescoed room and the fountain are mainly affected by fissures, convex deformations, lacuna, efflorescence, discoloration, moist areas and patinas; the surrounding wall shows back weathering due to the disaggregation of bedding mortars; moreover the blocks are interested by rounding and biological colonization (lichens). Mapping the areal distribution of weathering forms and defining the damage categories, allowed an estimation of the linear and progressive damage index. Actually, a good conservation state of frescoed room (1.5 - 2.0) and fountain (0.7 - 1.2) was identified; a definitely worse conservation state, instead, was observed in the external wall, where the highest progressive damage index value (3) was measured.

Gli scavi effettuati a Cuma dai ricercatori del Centre Jean Bérard hanno riportato alla luce una grande quantità di reperti ceramici. Il presente studio è stato concentrato su ceramiche comuni da cucina e su di un particolare tipo di ceramica da cucina a vernice rossa interna, denominato Rosso Pompeiano. Tutti i frammenti sono costituiti da degrassante vulcanico: feldspato, clinopirosseno, scorie, pomici, litici e, in minor quantità biotite, anfibolo, granato e scorie a leucite. Dal punto di vista chimico i campioni analizzati si suddividono in due gruppi principali costituiti indifferentemente da campioni di entrambe le tipologie. La distinzione fra i due raggruppamenti è dovuta alla differente quantità di inclusi presente nei frammenti, come messo in evidenza dall’analisi modale. I dati XRD e SEM indicano che la maggioranza dei campioni fu sottoposta a temperature di cottura in un intervallo compreso fra 900 e 1000°C. Fanno eccezione alcuni campioni di un gruppo di ceramica a vernice rossa interna per i quali sono ipotizzate temperature inferiori, comprese fra 800 e 850°C.

I risultati di scavi recenti mostrano la relativa vitalità dell’area vesuviana dopo la disastrosa eruzione del 79 d.C. In particolare, i materiali ceramici provenienti dallo scavo di via Lepanto possono offrire una esemplificazione dei prodotti circolanti in quest’area tra lo scorcio del IV e gli inizi del V secolo. Essi provengono da una serie di scarichi che almeno in un’area dello scavo risultavano sigillati da un piano di battuto a sua volta coperto dal materiale piroclastico dell’eruzione cd. di «Pollena» (473 d.C.) Sulla base della sigillata chiara D, questi materiali possono essere datati al più tardi ai primi decenni del V secolo. Le analisi archeometriche eseguite su un ampio campione di materiali suggeriscono per larga parte delle ceramiche comuni e da fuoco una produzione locale, pur non mancando prodotti di importazione