Ricerc@Sapienza

Textile manufacturing is one of the most representative classes of material culture; furthermore, it significantly represents one dynamic factor of connectivity of ancient Mediterranean world. In this perspective, luxury products are particularly interesting among the textile manufacture processes, as fabrics realized with
different techniques. They include threads, decorations or appliques, in golden material, often associated with purple. The vesuvian area represents a unique case study to deepen inside ancient textile culture, thanks to its important collection of artefacts. These items attest highly diversified examples of textile products that were used or stored in the city while the environmental catastrophe of AD 79 occurred. The present contribution is dedicated to the results of the archaeological and archaeometrical analysis performed on 24 textiles found in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis. On the basis of raw materials, techniques and dyes, the analyzed fragments of fabrics are to be considered luxury goods. Specifically, the investigation focuses on two groups of textiles: 16 fabrics made of gold threads and 8 mineralized textile fragments of fine quality and dyed with purple. The microscopic, spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis offers insight about production techniques and precious materials used for the manufacture of gold threads and fabrics during the early imperial age.