Microanalysis of blue pigments from the Ptolemaic temple of Hathor (Thebes), Upper Egypt: a case study

A Multi-Analytical Study of Egyptian Funerary Artifacts from Three Portuguese Museum Collections

A diachronic, multi-analytical approach combining EDXRF, µFTIR, µRaman, SEM-EDS, and Py-GC/MS has been adopted with the aim to study for the first time the painting materials used to decorate Egyptian funerary masks and sarcophagi ranging from the Late Period to the Roman Period and stored in the Archaeological National Museum (MNA) and the Carmo Archaeological Museum (MAC) of Lisbon and the Natural History Museum of the University in Oporto (MNH-FCUP). Results indicate that yellow and red ochres, realgar, cinnabar, Egyptian blue, and Egyptian green were used as pigments while chalk served as the preparatory layer. Over the 1000-year timeline of the studied artifacts, the palette remained remarkably consistent with previous findings as exemplified by cinnabar being used for red pigments in samples only dated after the Ptolemaic period. The presence of Sn in Egyptian blue and Egyptian green pigments used in one sample suggests the use of recycled bronze scraps during pigment production. Black pigments in two Late Period masks were found to be produced by mixing Egyptian blue with red ochre suggesting either a hitherto unknown method for production of purple pigments in the Egyptian palette or, alternatively, an attempt to create a specific hue or shade of dark brown or black. The results of this study contribute to further expand the database of Ancient Egyptian painting materials while at the same time helping to valorize three important Egyptian collections in Portugal.

Non-destructive characterization of Egyptian Blue cakes and wall painting fragments from the east of Lake Van, Turkey

A total of five Urartian blue cakes and two wall painting fragments, from excavations in different regions of the east of Lake Van, were analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (μ-XRF), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). All the studies were performed non-destructively considering the great archaeological importance of the samples. The results indicate the presence of Egyptian Blue, which is the first synthetic pigment, consists of crystals of calcium-copper tetrasilicate (cuprorivaite, CaCuSi₄O_l0) along with unreacted quartz (SiO₂) and in some cases. Comparison of the elemental compositions of the samples from Egypt and Mesopotamia suggests that EB cakes may be local products due to the presence of zinc. The absence of Sn on the other hand, indicates that the source of the copper may be a copper ore not bronze scrap.