Wall Painting in Pompeii

The scope of my study was, firstly, to investigate whether there is a chronological development of plasters in Pompeii and if a correlation between typology and chronology from the Archaic Period and up until the city's final days can be proved. Secondly, to examine whether there is a correlation between plaster types and the Four Pompeian styles, and whether plaster analyses can be used as a complementary tool for dating decoration layers also when the painting has disappeared. Thirdly, I wanted to examine the quality of the craftsmanship with the aim of understanding whether the quality of the plasters can be linked to individual workshops, to a specific time period or both. This begs the question of whether there is a correlation between the quality of the craftsmanship and the standard and size of the house, based on the assumption that it reflects the social and economic status of the owner. Plaster layers are at focus, but I believe that studying the intermediate stratum in isolation would be pointless - it has to be considered as one stratum of a decorated wall structure. The building technique and the painting have to be observed too, as both have undergone technical and/or stylistic alterations during the time period in question. Materials from thirty-two buildings of varying standards, such as temples, public buildings, private houses and workshops have been examined, in situ, under the microscope, and by scientific analyses of components.