Tessera 1001-0. Villa de Bruñel (Quesada, Jaén, Spain)

A black tessera from the mosaic of the Roman villa of Bruñel (Quesada, Jaén, Spain). It is made of a vitreous material. Raman analysis of the matrix reveals the characteristic Raman bands of lead-silicate glass (471 cm⁻¹ and 961 cm⁻¹). Elemental analysis of the matrix shows a high concentration of SiO₂ (42.56 wt %) and PbO₂ (12.08 wt %), as well as a complete absence of Na. These data rule out the use of the sodium-silicate glass typically found in Roman tesserae.

The Raman spectrum provides further evidence for the presence of Fe- and Zn-bearing crystalline phases within the vitreous matrix. The bands at 532 and 683 cm⁻¹ are compatible respectively, of an Fe-bearing spinel and are particularly consistent with magnetite (Fe₃O₄), The relatively high Zn content (14.10 wt % ZnO) is consistent with the polymetallic Pb–Zn character of the Linares–La Carolina ores, where galena (PbS) and sphalerite (ZnS) are documented as associated ore minerals. However, the very low sulphur content of the tesserae (0.03 wt % SO₃) provides no evidence for the preservation of residual sphalerite. Instead, Zn was likely redistributed during the high-temperature smelting process and incorporated into the vitreous matrix and/or Zn–Fe-bearing crystalline phases. Thus, the Raman data are interpreted as indicating the presence of Fe- and/or Zn–Fe-bearing spinel phases formed during the metallurgical process, rather than residual sulphide minerals.

All of the above points to the conclusion that vitreous slag from galena smelting—materials commonly found in other mosaics of the Upper Guadalquivir region, such as those at El Altillo, Cerrillo del Cuco, and Los Amores—was reused in the creation of the mosaics at the Bruñel villa.

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Condition: New product

Dimensions

Alto : 1 Centimeters

Ancho : 1 Centimeters

Profundidad : 1 Centimeters

Materials

glass paste

Temporal

Period name : Roman

Date : 3rd-4th century AD

Otros metadatos

Spatial

Location : Villa de Bruñel
Geopolitical area : Quesada, Jaén, Spain
Spatial reference system : WGS84

Copyrights

Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (BY-NC-ND)

References

Article - Sotomayor, M. (1985): “La villa romana de Bruñel, en Quesada (Jaén)”. Cuadernos de Prehistoria de la Universidad de Granada, 10: 335-366

Article - Ramos, J. (2015): “Reexcavando sin destruir, cincuenta años después. Aplicación de nuevos planteamientos teóricos y metodologías a la villa romana de Bruñel (Quesada, Jaén)”. Arqueología y Territorio, 12, 177-189.