Osservazioni sulla policromia degli intonaci della necropoli rupestre ellenistica di Norchia

The monumental rock-cut necropolis of Norchia (VT) with its half-cube tombs is an excellent example of the ancient landscape, characterized by similar funerary types even after the Romanization. The study analyze the polychromies of the plaster on the sub-façade chamber of a tomb partially digged in Norchia in 2019 in the Acqualta zone, and then it is also extended to the reconstruction of the original polychromies of the façades of the other Hellenistic rock-cut tombs of Norchia and those of southern Etruria especially in the Viterbo area. The plaster's analyzes carried out both in situ and on small samples (Fiber Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence, X-Ray Diffractometry, Stratigraphic Sections analyzed with Scanning Electron Microscope, Mineral-Petrographic analyzes) allows to learn more about the making technique of plaster and its coloring. This is an almost exceptional study case since the remains of such well-preserved plaster are not easily found.