A Raman investigation of ancient Colliria

In January 1884, in Atestino territory (PD-Este, northern of Italy), was discovered in Morlungo district, where is present the southern necropolis aged in pre-Roman and Roman period (Ateste), a tomb dated to the second half of the I sec d.C (Tomb civic IX) whose furnishings exhibition being a doctor-surgeon-apothecary (Simonetta Bonomi - "Medici in Este romana. 3. La tomba del medico” Aquileia nostra”, 55, 1984, p. 78-108.). Among the various finds is present a bronze box (capsula), several medicinal preparations in the solid state form were also found inside. They were collyria (from the greek = κολλύριον small pills solid elongated), not necessarily used in ophthalmologic practice (Celse V 28 G; Hippocrates, Mul. I 51). In bibliography, rare are the articles published regarding the discovery of these findings, but even more rare are articles on collyria chemical analysis. In this study, 17 collyria / fragments of collyria exposed in Este National Museum and other six fragments from the tomb of a physician and stored in warehouses, using non-invasive and non-destructive techniques were analyzed in-situ. Raman microscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and X-ray Fluorescence techniques were chosen for the analysis using portable equipments. In this study we report the preliminary composition data of these remains. The analyzes performed, chemical charaterized several components already identified to the specific literature on these findings: calcite, indrocerussite, litharge, cuprite, tenorite, azzurite, realgar, pararealgar, orpiment. Moreover in this work some components, not analyzed in collyria forms yet, were also identified: pyrite and alumina. In the next future could be interesting study the remains with micro-invasive techniques, this in order to better investigate the organic component present and complete the knowledge of these rare and interesting archaeological finds, on which many questions still remain open and unanswered.