The topic of this study is the archaeometric characterization of mortars from Villa del Pezzolo, a Roman Villa located in Seiano (Napoli-Campania, Italy), dated between the 1st century B.C. and the ...3rd century A.D. Mortars were analyzed by means of a multi-analytical approach (polarized optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersed spectrometry, thermal analyses and mercury intrusion porosimetry) according to existing recommendations. Analytical results evidenced the use of local geomaterials composed of sedimentary and volcanic aggregates in the mix design and confirmed the three distinct building phases identified by archaeologists. Volcanic tuff fragments, identified in the 1st building phase can be ascribed to Campanian Ignimbrite formation, widely cropping out in the Sorrento Peninsula, as confirmed by the presence of glassy shards, partially devitrified and replaced by authigenic feldspar, a typical feature of welded grey ignimbrite lithofacies (WGI). Volcanic aggregates in samples of the 2nd and 3rd building phases show, instead, the presence of leucite-bearing volcanic scoriae and garnet crystal fragments related to Somma-Vesuvius products. Study of these mortars allowed us to: (1) understand the production technologies; (2) highlight use of materials with hydraulic behavior, such as volcanic and fictile fragments; (3) confirm the three building phases from compositional features of mortars and (4) highlight the change over time of the volcanic aggregate for mortars mix-design.
•Terme di Baia is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southern Italy.•Microstructural and compositional examination of coating mortars.•Long-lasting use of a valuable mix design created ...with local raw materials.•Secondary phases improved the technological properties of mortars.
Ancient pozzolanic mortars show the high technological quality achieved by Roman construction workers, due to their ‘excellent state’ of preservation in every environment. These workers well knew that thanks to the combination of lime with specific volcanic products (pozzolana), mortar and concrete become hydraulic, allowing underwater hardening and increasing mechanical strength. The use of pozzolana in a mortar provides the underwater curing (hydraulic limes) of whatever construction with higher speed compared to carbonation processes of slaked lime. Whenever pozzolana is not available, it is substituted by ceramic fragments, which possess similar hydraulic properties. This research focuses, for the first time, on the detailed characterization of mortars coming from the Thermal Complex of Baia, which represents one of the most important archaeological sites in the Campania region. Thanks to several thermal springs, the ancient city of Baiae (Campi Flegrei) was the holiday resort of the Roman aristocracy. The former Soprintendenza Archeologia della Campania, allowed us to perform non-invasive, but representative, sampling of mortars that were characterised by multianalytical methodologies (POM, XRPD, SEM-EDS, TGA, and MIP) providing useful information on possible future activities of restoration. Results confirmed the expertise of Roman workers, who skilfully combined volcanic tuff aggregate, hydrated lime, and ceramic fragments. In particular, the typical zeolitic mineral association of phillipsite>chabazite>analcime found in the tuff aggregate pointed out their provenance from the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff related to the volcanic activity of Campi Flegrei of ca. 15ka BP. The most relevant characteristic detected in all studied samples is the mortar hydraulicity testified by evidences such as reaction rims between pozzolana and binder, Hydraulicity Index (HI), and thermal analyses investigation. Also, composition of secondary mineralogical phases in the cementiceous matrix is particularly relevant. Distinctive is the contemporary presence of C-A-S-H gel, calcite and gypsum. C-A-S-H gel is derived from lime/ceramic fragments reaction; calcite is likely related to the partial reaction of underburned lime; and gypsum could be ascribable to the sulphation process of calcite. These secondary minerogenetic products fill pore space and enhance bonding in pumice fragments, thus contributing to long-term durability of mortars.
Natural resources, along with critical raw materials, are increasingly considered a focus for technological applications. Widely available and inexpensive natural resources, such as zeolite-rich ...geomaterials, possess minero-chemical characteristics that make them very useful in various technological applications, representing a strategic choice with a strong green connotation. In this research, the possibility of recycling waste powders from quarrying operations of zeolite-rich tuffs in technological applications for the construction sector and drug delivery was investigated.
Waste powders collected from quarries operating on the Sorano Formation (Tuscany - Italy), were used for a preliminary characterization, performed to evaluate zeolite content and potential pollution deriving from industrial processing.
Thereafter, the specific technological characterization was carried out to define the waste attitude to represent a promising candidate raw material for Lightweight Expanded Aggregates (LEA) production, partial substitution component with pozzolanic activity in cement formulations, carrier for active pharmaceutical molecules.
Experimental results, obtained following European normative, proved that was possible to produce waste-based LEA with comparable features with those reported for currently marketed products, that waste powders exhibited pozzolanic activity evidencing the possible use as addition for blended cements and, finally, the use of a cationic surfactant determined a surface-modification of natural zeolites (contained in waste samples) which encouraged for an early loading trial of active pharmaceutical molecules.
This research can be safely extended to other quarry waste, with similar mineralogical and chemical composition, leading to a strong contribution in the waste management of this sector.
•The Sorano Formation is quarried and processed with a huge production of waste mainly composed of zeolites.•Zeolite-rich waste is suitable for production of lightweight aggregates meeting technical requirements for building sector.•Zeolite-rich waste can be considered as a partial substitutefor cement additions due to the pozzolanic activity index.•Functionalisation of the zeolites from the Sorano formation waste enables the loading of pharmaceutically active molecules.
This research deals with mineralogical, petrographic, chemical, and microstructural characterization of raw materials from the Roman Dragonara cave (Phlegraean Fields, Campania region, Italy) through ...Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (FESEM/EDS), Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA) and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP). The aim of this study was to asses mortars hydraulic properties along with provenance of raw materials and mortars recipe. A focus on the reactions between the surface of the ceramic aggregates and volcanic materials with binding matrix proved to be crucial to define their role in the mix design of mortars. Representative results showed that hydraulicity of the analyzed mortars is mainly due to volcanic materials rather than ceramic fragments. In fact, reaction active elements such as Reaction Rims (RR), Interfacial Transition Zones (ITZ) and particularly Ca-rich rims were usually found at the matrix-volcanic fragments interface. Moreover, porosity tests evidence that bedding mortars, which contain mainly volcanic material and only sporadically ceramic fragments have a higher closed porosity of binder matrix due to the good pozzolanic reactivity.
•Ancient mortars used ceramic fragments as pozzolanic materials.•Mortars hydraulicity due to technological addition.•Role of aggregates in mortars physical characteristics.•Multianalytical approach in historical mortars examination.•Secondary phases improving the technological properties of mortars.
An integrate approach, aimed at allowing the access to a large dataset, concerning Cultural Heritage, is proposed.
The research, developed within Databenc-SNECS (High-Tech District for Cultural ...Heritage – Social Network of Historic Center Entities) project, aimed to represent and promote the knowledge of Campania historical centres through paradigms of technological intelligence.
An innovative ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) architecture was designed to contain data concerning geomaterials (and relative decay) used in the historical site of Saints Marcellino and Festo (Naples, Italy), along with other ones from selected monuments of the Ancient Centre of Naples.
Data, collected into a no-relational database, were processed to realize a 3D model whose prototype will be useful for preserving Cultural Heritage.
A further interface, a geo-touristic application for mobile devices, NAppSTONES (Naples – Application – STONES), was developed. This latter, promoting the cultural heritage of the Ancient Centre of Naples, highlighted the close relationship between its geological and urban setting.
•A dataset, concerning Cultural Heritage of Naples's Ancient Centre, was implemented.•All data, upgraded into a no-relational DB, are connected by semantic methodologies.•A digital representation of geomaterials decay and 3D from a case-study was implemented.•A geo-touristic application for mobile devices, was developed.
Stem cells are defined as clonogenic cells capable of self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation. A population of these cells has been identified in human Dental Follicle (DF). Dental Follicle ...Stem Cells (DFSCs) were found in pediatric unerupted wisdom teeth and have been shown to differentiate, under particular conditions, into various cell types of the mesenchymal tissues.
The aim of this study was to investigate if cells isolated from DF show stem features, differentiate toward osteoblastic phenotype and express osteoblastic markers.
We studied the immunophenotype of DFSCs by flow cytometric analysis, the osteoblastic markers of differentiated DFSCs were assayed by histochemical methods and real-time PCR.
We demonstrated that DFSCs expressed a heterogeneous assortment of makers associated with stemness. Moreover DFSCs differentiated into osteoblast-like cells, producing mineralized matrix nodules and expressed the typical osteoblastic markers, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and Collagen I (Coll I).
This study suggests that DFSCs may provide a cell source for tissue engineering of bone.
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