Pigments and cosmetics from Regio I, Insula 9 (I,9,9): archaeometrical analyses

After a review of the color containers found in Pompeii, a group of them coming from the Officina Pigmentaria is considered. A large amount of data concerning the contents of bowls of different kinds found in a Pompeiian house is presented. Many materials are encountered that can be classified in many ways. Some distinctions could be based on the nature of the possible contents at the time of the Vesuvius eruption in 79 A. D. A statistical evaluation of the frequencies of attestation of different materials suggests some hypotheses. A possible interpretation of the house as being a shop for preparing pigments, cosmetics and drugs is advanced.