## 5 Conclusions  
In this work, an array of non- and micro-invasive techniques was used to examine the materials and painting technique of several wall painting fragments found at the Roman baths from Alburnus Maior (Rosia Montana, Romania). The results of this investigation allowed a qualitative characterization of the chemical and mineralogical composition of the pigments and plasters used as support. The identified color palette included only _austeri_ pigments (common earth pigments) as defined by [PERSON]: red ochre (hematite) for the red, yellow ochres (hematite probably mixed with goethite) for the yellow, manganese-rich ochres (possibly braunite) mixed with carbon for the black, and calcite for the white. As for the painting method, the FTIR analysis performed pointed to the use of the _a secco_ technique, with characteristic infrared absorptions for a protein binder (egg or animal fat) being observed in some of the investigated samples. The presence of organic binders within the painting layers was also supported by imaging documentation that highlighted various technical details in regard to the working methods. The mortar technology employed included two layers (_arriccio_ and _intonac_). The _arriccio_ consisted mainly of lime (calcite) and siliceous sands (quartz) admixed with iron oxides and low amounts of clay minerals, while the _intonac_ was based almost on pure lime. For the plasters, local sources were most probably used: clay deposits within the surroundings of Alba Iulia, and quartz sands from the right bank of the Mures River. The obtained results were discussed in light of the archeological context and existing earlier studies carried out on wall painting fragments from the same period. Moreover, new wall painting fragments from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizeegetusa (a nearby important Roman archeological site) were analyzed in terms of painting technique. The registered data indicate that the pigments were applied _a secco_, and not _a fresco_ as initially thought, with the presence of an organic binder being inferred via FTIR analysis as well as combined imaging documentation. Some limitations of FTIR spectroscopy in terms of the capability to accurately identify the presence of organic binders (present in low concentrations) in small wall painting fragments were also discussed. While, in terms of pigments and manufacturing technique, some similarities were found between the sites of Alburnus Maior and Ulpia Traia Sarmizeegetusa, there were also some differences, specifically regarding the pigments used for the black, red, and white areas. The black-colored areas appear to have been made with a mixture of a manganese-based pigment and carbon black in the case of Alburnus Maior, as opposed to the pigment used at Ulpia Traiana Sarmizeegetusa, which was found to be bone black. Additionally, no traces of the less encountered white pigment discovered at Ulpia Traiana Sarmizeegetusa, strontianite white, were found at the Alburnus Maior site, where the white pigment was calcite. One of the red pigments identified at Ulpia Traian Sarmizeegetusa, red lead, does not appear to be present in the samples from Alburnus Maior, where the only red pigment identified was red ochre (hematite). The question of whether these differences between the two closely located archaeological sites are related to the personal choice of the craftsmen or the available (locally or imported) materials needs additional research in order to be properly answered and put into context. Overall, the results of this study bring to light new information regarding the materials and pictorial techniques used for the execution of decorative polychrome wall paintings within the Roman provinces. The first evidence regarding the use of the _a secco_ painting technique within two important Roman archeological sites from the Roman province of Dacia is presented.