Antonella Privitera Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre 
Francesco Tomasello Dipartimento S.A.Fi.St., Università degli Studi di Catania.

WALL PAINTINGS AND STUCCOS FRAGMENTS FROM THE SO CALLED “WORKSHOP OF MASKS” (REGIO III/16,
SETTING E) NEXT TO THE ANONYMOUS TEMPLE ON THE DECUMANUS MAXIMUS (LEPTIS MAGNA, LIBIA): AN
EMERGENCY RESTORATION

The restoration intervention on the wall paintings and stuccos fragments was carried out during the Italian archaeological mission in September 2010, with the aim of making a contribution to the knowledge on the Imperial Roman (II-III century AC) building and decorative techniques at Leptis Magna (Libia). In particular, a pre-consolidation treatment of the fragments affected by decohesion, by using traditional materials, allowed the safe handling of matching fragments for assembly. The macroscopic analysis of the fragments was carried out for a preliminary identification of the constituent materials (mortars and plasters) and executive techniques (‘frescos’ with tempera overpainting). Nevertheless, the large, assembled portions have revealed the decorative repertoire useful for the archaeologist evaluation on the provenance building of these fragments, discharged in the setting E.