L’uso dell’argilla nella pittura murale romana: nuove considerazioni

This paper examines the role of clay in different stages of construction of Roman Wall Painting, proposing a lexical distinction of the terms mentioned in written sources . The comparison between archaeological data and the techniques described by Vitruvius and Pliny shows a constant use of the material from the Republican age onwards, as a result of technological choices, both for the first layer of plaster (lutum) on raw earth supports (terra) and for the application of colors (creta).