Analysis and characterization of ancient mortars of the Medio Volturno River area

Within the framework of an archaeological and historical survey of some Medieval and a few Roman buildings of the Medio Volturno River area (in the Italian regions of Molise and Campania) conducted by the Laboratorio di Archeologia Tardoantica e Medievale (LATEM) of the University Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples, we analyzed and characterized the samples of ancient mortars of about 25 historical sites of the area, dating from the 1st century B.C. to the the 14th century A.D., taken from several different kinds of buildings, with civil, religious, and military uses. The physico-chemical characterization of the mortars was carried out by XRPD with Rietveld refinement, for the quantitative determination of their mineralogical compositions, with subsequent validation by SEM/EDS. Moreover, TGA were performed to determine the water content of the mortars, and microscopic thin sections analyses were made to obtain information about their morphological and basic physical properties. The results of the analyses were mapped by our GIS system, and compared with geological data of the area of interest to find the relation between the composition of the mortars and the typical minerals present in each area