SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF COLOUR TRACES IN MARBLE SCULPTURES AND ARCHITECTURAL PARTS OF MONUMENTS OF ARCHAIC PERIOD IN DELPHI, GREECE

Abstract

Non-destructive analysis by means of portable X-ray flourescence (pXRF) and Raman spectroscopy of color

traces on sculptures and architectural parts from the Delphi Museum, Phokis, Greece, are presented. These

sculptures and architectural parts are dated to the Archaic period (7th – 6th c. B.C.). The main question to be

answered is the mineral/pigment used for each part and therefore to reconstruct the color palette of the

artists. For this research, sixteen archaeological exhibits of the Delphi museum were analyzed with two

different spectroscopies, and the white, red, black, yellow and blue pigments were identified.