The wall decoration of Baths of Buticosus in Ostia: a palimpsest of the Ostian painting

The Baths of Buticosus, a medium-size private bath complex located in the central area of Ostia, were built in the Trajanic period and remained in use at least until 3rd century A.D. The transformations which affected the complex in the course of time are reflected in the overlapping of different layers of painted decoration, which are recently been involved by restoration works. On the same occasion, archaeometric analyses were carried out on the paintings thanks to a collaboration between the Parco archeologico di Ostia antica, the Université catholique de Louvain, the Pratt Institute and RWTH - Aachen University. This collaboration gave the occasion to analyse and study the paintings under every possible angle, associating archaeologists, conservators and chemists trying to answer to the same questions: How were the paintings made, with which materials? How many times was the building decorated? Which treatments did the paintings receive in the past? How to preserve them now? How to restore, physically and digitally, the decoration in the best way possible? This paper intends to present the benefits of interdisciplinarity, dialogue and common reflexion on Roman wall painting