Monday June 17th

Today we started wrapping up the projects started at the site. It was decided that because of the mass quantity of mosaics found, we would change the initial plan for the site and focus on the mosaic removal and conservation. But before that was completed, we had to finish the mortar for the cracked vault. Using damp sponges, the smooth and dry mortar was wiped to reveal the crushed brick and stone particles. This reduces the porosity of the mortar (waterproofing it), but also aesthetically incorporates it more into the structure and texture of the stone.

Once this was complete, we continued to remove tesserae from the mosaic site. The mosaic was backed with velatura (textile attached with water soluble wheat paste) and lifted from the site, then chiseled to remove remaining plaster off of the back for easier transport. This gave a nice break from the sun which was the hottest it has been so far. Little did we know, a camera crew from an Italian news program came to interview Roberto about the work and a group of students were interviewed.

After a hard day of work we had a scenic drive back to Alghero with a lot more time to spare than usual before dinner. We took the opportunity to explore the town and shop. Dinner tonight had some of the most adventurous dishes so far. Pasta with squid ink sauce and cuttle fish (tentacles and all!), which was followed by a veggie frittata and, of course, gelato.