OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 The origins of paints used on ancient Roman walls is the subject of this month’s installment of a monthly public science forum organized by the University of Mississippi Department of Physics and Astronomy.<\/p>\n
The spring semester’s fourth and final meeting of the Oxford Science Cafe is set for 6 p.m. April 23 at Lusa Pastry Cafe, 2305 West Jackson Ave. Hilary Becker, UM assistant professor of classics, will discuss “The science of Roman wall painting: Pliny, pigments and polychromy.” The program is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe discovery of the only known pigment shop in ancient Rome revealed an array of colors in their raw, mineral form waiting to be sold to wall painters,” Becker said. “Roman pigments provide a surprising opportunity to understand how science can be used in archaeology, revealing what pigments were present in the shop and, potentially, from where they originated.”<\/p>\n
Becker’s 30-minute presentation will also explore the supply-side economy of Roman painting and the steps by which these pigments went from the mine to a shop to the walls of a Roman house.<\/p>\n
Becker received her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina and her bachelor\u2019s degree from Bryn Mawr College. Her research interests are Etruscan and Roman archaeology, ancient economy, Latin prose and Etruscan and Latin epigraphy.<\/p>\n
The Science Caf\u00e9 began two years ago and was held in Lusa Pastry Caf\u00e9 on North Lamar Boulevard before the business opened a second location on West Jackson Avenue.<\/p>\n