SURFACE EXAMINATION OF RED PAINTING ON MEDIEVAL POTTERY FROM THE SOUTH OF ITALY

A red pigment was often used for decorating the surface of different s tyle classes of pottery during the Middle Ages in the South of Italy. This work is concerned with the identification of the red pigment on c eramic ware, both lead-glazed and unglazed painting, coming from the m edieval archaeological sites of Castel Fiorentino (Foggia), the Cathed ral of Bari, Torre di Mare (Matera) and Gallana (Brindisi). X-ray Phot oelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman Microscopy were u sed as analytical techniques to investigate the decorated surfaces. Th e results suggest that the red colour is due to lead compounds in the glazed fragments and in the painted ones from Bari Cathedral, to iron oxides in the Castel Fiorentino painted shards and to a mixture of lea d and iron compounds in the Gallana painted ware.