Petrographic and microstratigraphic analysis of mortar-based building materials from the Temple of Venus, Pompeii

Archaeometric study of mortar-based building materials from the Temple of Venus at Pompeii has permitted several distinct mortar recipes to be identified, characterised by their microstratigraphy, petrographic features of the aggregate, and their matrix. These various types were deliberately prepared for specific applications, due to their different hydraulicity, or for aesthetic purposes. Cocciopesto plaster containing crushed ceramic was used in hydraulic structures, perhaps because of its superior hydraulic performance with respect to other types of plaster. It may have been used as intonaco on walls, due to its warm hues and resistance to damp.