Investigating Colors and Techniques on the Wall Paintings of the ‘Tomb of the Philosophers’, an Early Hellenistic Macedonian Monumental Cist Tomb in Pella (Macedonia, Greece)

The ‘Tomb of the Philosophers’, owing its name to iconographic theme depicted on interior walls, offers a rare example high-quality early Hellenistic painting, which enhances our knowledge use painting materials and techniques in Greece during late 4th–early 3rd century BC. tomb was excavated 2001 by 17th Ephorate Prehistoric Classical Antiquities, area east cemetery ancient city Pella is among largest built cist graves have been found region date. This article presents results scientific investigation used tomb’s decoration means high-resolution visible- raking-light imaging, broadband imaging (IRR, UIL, UVR, VIL), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy SEM-EDAX microanalysis representative number samples. examination paintings testifies application elaborate varied rich chromatic ‘palette’ (iron oxides, Egyptian blue, malachite, conichalcite, cinnabar, lead white, carbon-based black, purple organic colorant, yellow-orange arsenic vanadium-based pigments). Furthermore, elements were better visualized, allowing for more accurate description interpretation decorative program tomb.