Final Documentation, Conservation, and Monitoring of the Floor Mosaic

During the summer of 2020, fieldwork was undertaken on the documentation and conservation of the floor mosaic in the tablinum of the house, following the conservation of the wall paintings in this room, which was finished in March 2020.

The conservation treatment of the floor mosaic completes the conservation of the entire room as an integral component of the collaborative project. The pavement features a central opus sectile panel constructed with different types of marbles, flanked by black and white opus tessellatum geometric mosaics.

Documentation included creating a photographic base for the graphic recording of previous interventions and conditions. Treatment trials were also conducted to help determine the most appropriate and effective materials to clean, consolidate, and stabilize the mosaic. In addition, laboratory analyses were conducted to identify the materials used for previous treatments, and to evaluate the conservation materials, including those tested on site and used in the treatment phase of the work.

Because of travel restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the floor mosaic work was carried out by conservator Livia Alberti of Consorzio Arké and an assistant, under the supervision of project conservators Thomas Roby and Leslie Rainer, who serves as the project’s manager. Following the conservation of the mosaic pavement, the team carried out one year of environmental monitoring and implemented final climate improvement strategies to ensure the long-term preservation of this exquisitely decorated room.

In February 2021 the conservation treatment of the mosaic pavement in the tablinum was completed by Alberti, with injection grouting of areas where detachment between bedding mortar layers was present. Previous surface treatment of the opus sectile central panel was also adjusted to make its appearance more uniform with that of the opus tessellatum section of the pavement.

Unlike at many other mosaics at the site, visitors will not be allowed to walk on the tablinum pavement, to ensure its long-term preservation and reduce the need for frequent maintenance. This activity marked the end of the treatment phase of the multiyear project.

Phase II of the environmental monitoring of the tablinum began in January 2021 with the installation of an environmental monitoring station, as part of a collaboration with Studio Massari and the partners at Herculaneum. Short-term tests were first carried out to determine monitoring parameters and to select an appropriate shade fabric, followed by a yearlong monitoring program, which informed decisions about climate improvement strategies for the room to ensure the long-term preservation of the wall paintings and mosaic.