This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Ancient Egypt has left us a wealth of artistic treasures, including wall paintings, wooden coffins and limestone reliefs. Many retain their vibrant colors despite the passage of time, a testament to the ingredients used to make the paint mixtures.
A new study published in the journal Science Advances has taken a closer look at some of the organic materials used in these painted artworks, including paint binders and adhesives. An international team of archaeologists, conservationists and historians analyzed 28 tiny samples from 14 painted artworks dating from about 1425 BCE to 400 CE. These included coffins, tomb wall paintings, painted limestone and mummy-related plasterwork from collections in three European museums.
The researchers took tiny physical samples of the painted surfaces and used proteomics to analyze proteins in the binders and adhesives. This technique uses mass spectrometry to analyze ancient protein signatures, allowing scientists to identify the biological origins of some of the materials. The results revealed that ancient Egyptian paint recipes were far more complex than scientists previously realized.
Cattle glue was found in most of the samples containing animal glue, but there were also glues from several different animals, including sheep or goats, donkeys, horses and possibly wild antelopes. The evidence suggests these were made using animal hides and connective tissues rather than bones alone. Several plant proteins were also discovered.
"Proteomics confirmed the use of glue prepared from the collagen of multiple animals and revealed the presence of plant proteins, including sesame and moringa products, previously undocumented in ancient Egyptian artworks," the researchers said in their paper. The team also wanted to determine what form these plant materials took when the artists used them. Because sesame and moringa can be processed for oil, the researchers ran additional chemical tests to check whether the ingredients were plant oils or another product.
The analysis revealed a protein-rich material, with traces of oil present. This suggests the painters were not using pure plant oils but may instead have been using seed cake, the protein-rich material left over after pressing seeds for oil. "Only the integration of proteomics with more established techniques such as FTIR [Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy] and Py-GC-MS [pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry], and the interpretation of analytical results with knowledge of artists' materials and their manufacture, as well as archaeological evidence, allowed us to propose the use of byproducts of seed processing." As well as telling us more about the ingenuity of Egyptian artists, these results may help conservationists better understand the materials they are dealing with when developing treatments for ancient artworks.
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