A Green Prevailing Monochromy in the Wall Paintings of the Domus at Avenida Miguel de Cervantes 35 (Écija, Seville): An Archaeochemical Study

This paper highlights the findings of the emergency excavation carried out at Avenida Miguel de Cervantes No. 35 in Écija, conducted in two phases between 1999 and 2000 and in 2003. The investigation revealed a domus featuring valuable decorative elements, including pictorial wall paintings and two high-quality mosaics. Stylistic analysis of the wall decorations identified a scheme composed of wide and narrow panels, with a predominance of bright green in the central zone, along with traces of figurative representations. The evidence suggests a second construction phase in the latter half of the 2nd century AD, followed by renovations in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The use of green prevailing monochromy appears to be associated with high-status representational spaces. A total of six samples from the wall paintings and mortars were analysed. X-ray diffraction (XRPD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) were employed for a minimally destructive preliminary study of the mortars, while confocal microscopy was used to observe the sequence in which the pigments were applied, and Raman spectroscopy enabled the identification of the pigments, notably highlighting glauconite as the green pigment.