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An iconicAlexander the Greatmosaic find at Pompeii got its more or less 2 million pieces from pit that extended far beyond Alexander ’s ancient realm , a new study finds .
While Alexander ’s empire stretched from the Balkans to modern - twenty-four hours Pakistan , these routine of Harlan Fiske Stone and mineral , or tessera , came from quarries across Europe — including in Italy and the Iberian Peninsula — as well as from Tunisia , harmonise to the study , which was published Wednesday ( Jan. 15 ) in the journalPLOS One .
A restorer works on the Alexander the Great mosaic in 2021. The mosaic is originally from Pompeii but is now on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
What is the Alexander Mosaic?
The roughly 2,000 - twelvemonth - old mosaic was buried in Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79 . It was attain in 1831 , when archeologist unearthed it in a moneyed phratry ’s " domus " known as the House of the Faun , and it ’s now on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples .
The Alexander Mosaic is considered " the most important mosaic of the Roman years , " the authors wrote in the field of study . It depicts Alexander , who rule from 336 to 323 B.C. , and the Macedonian army triumphing over thePersianking Darius III and his forces . The lone tree in the backdrop suggest that this is the Battle of Issus , which took blank space in 333 B.C. by what is now the Turkish - Syrian molding . According to Arab and knightly texts , include from Marco Polo , this battle was known to locals as the " fight of the dry tree " ( or " the lonely tree " ) , the researchers write in the study .
Related : Why did n’t Alexander the big invade Rome ?
The bare tree in the background of the mosaic hints that Alexander was fighting at the Battle of Issus in 333 B.C.
In 2020 , the National Archaeological Museum of Naples launched a regaining project that entailed noninvasively canvass the photomosaic . The team hire several techniques , including portable X - ray fluorescence ( pXRF ) , which uses X - shaft to serve identify element within an target . They find that the " tessera were composed of ten types of colors masterfully combine to enhance artistic effects characterizing the Alexander Mosaic , " the research worker compose in the study .
The 10 colors included tint of bloodless , brown , red , white-livered , pinkish , green , gray-headed , down , bootleg and vitreous ( glassy ) , which had a tumid range of micro - texture that were " masterfully combined to enhance artistic upshot of the artworks , " the researchers indite in the composition .
Ancient artisans pay exceptional attention to Alexander ’s face , the team take note . It is " write of several shades of pink tesserae with appreciable changes in luminescence effects probably pertain to different chemical substance composition of the tesserae , " they wrote in the study . detail like this excuse why this is " perhaps the most iconic and well - known representation of his face in ancient art , " they noted .
As for the origins of the tessera , the scientists face at quarries that were used inRomantimes . For instance , " Some of the white tesserae could be related to theMarmor Lunensis[white crystalline limestone ] from the Apuan Alps prey ( Italy ) , which bulge to be mined for marble in the first hundred BCE and was no longer used begin from the 3rd century CE , " the squad write in the study .
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Meanwhile , the intense pink tesserae may have come from Portugal , some of the yellow blocks may have come from the Roman metropolis of Simitthus in what is now Tunisia , and dark red pieces may be from Cape Matapan , Greece , they wrote .
The squad also notice traces of lifelike wax and the mineral gypsum , which were likely applied as a protective layer during restoration projects in the modern era , the squad pen in the discipline .
An endoscopic probe on the mosaic ’s backside exhibit " many empty portions " that were probably missed by the gypsum - based substances , which were probably add together to support the construction during its theodolite from Pompeii to the museum . " These likely areas of weakness should be assume into due consideration during restoration , " the researchers wrote in the study .
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