Almost ten years of plasters residue analysis in Italy: activity areas and the function of structures

摘要

Plasters are porous materials that absorb the substances with which they come into contact. When activities are carried out on floors, the substances used and produced by the activities are poured onto them and absorbed. The chemical analysis of the residues preserved in plastered archaeological floors can therefore provide information on the use of space and the function of structures. In this paper we show a synthesis of the results of the analyses of Roman and Medieval buildings with plastered floors found in Italy, which allowed to identify the traces of different activities such as food production, preparation and consumption, as well as toilet activities. Spot tests aimed at identifying the presence of phosphates, fatty acids and protein residues have been used to analyse the plaster samples. The results were plotted in a GIS environment and maps were generated to understand the distribution of the chemical residues. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been carried out on specific samples to better identify the organic residues.