All local brickwork was protected by stucco and most tombs were originally limewashed in white or earth colors. Multiple layers of both stucco and surface finish can be seen on many of the tombs representing generations of choice in both color and materials.

Paint Analysis

At the Architectural Conservation Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, analyses of these layers is made with high powered microscopes. Small chips of surface finish are cross-sectioned with a diamond-tipped blade and mounted on slides so that the historic layers of color can be magnified and analyzed. The history of the tomb can often be read through understanding the clues in each of the layers of color seen in these images.