Byzantine Wall Paintings in the Archaeological Sites of Aigai, Olympos, and Anaia (Turkey): Techniques and Material Characteristics

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the material characteristics of the paint layers and techniques of paintings executed in Late Roman and Byzantine churches located in the archaeological sites of Aigai, Olympos, and Anaia (Turkey) in order to select compatible materials prior to conservation treatments of the paintings and to establish the technical aspects of the paintings in relation to coeval Western examples. In this context, the execution technique, microchemical characteristics, stratigraphy of paintings, and mineralogical and chemical composition of the pigments were determined by polarized light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The analysis results indicated that wall paintings were executed by fresco, secco or fresco-secco techniques on a thin plaster layer that is composed of pure lime, straw, fine marble, brick, and sand aggregates. The ground layers of the paintings are composed of kaolin, calcite, and carbon black. The color compositions of the paintings were obtained by applying successive layers of paint on the ground layers. The pigments used in the paintings are mainly iron oxides for the red and yellow, green earth in celadonite and glauconite forms for greens, and lapis lazuli and Egyptian blue for blues. The present study demonstrates that the techniques and materials employed in the execution of wall paintings in Byzantine churches in Western Anatolia are analogous to those utilized in the Balkans, Crete, and Cyprus, with the exception of the presence of a clay-based ground. © The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works 2025.