A multi-scalar investigation of the colouring materials used in textile wrappings of Egyptian votive animal mummies

Commonly exhibited in museum galleries, animal mummies have been the focus of interest of both visitors and researchers alike. The study of these animal remains not only provides new insights into embalming techniques, but also brings a unique perspective on religious, social and economic practices. Twenty animal mummies are discussed in this study, including cats, ibises, crocodiles, calves and birds of prey from the collections of the British Museum (London, UK) and the Museo Egizio (Turin, Italy). The external textile wrappings encasing the mummified body of the animals were investigated with the main aim of identifying the colourants used. In fact, these are mostly patterned using undyed and coloured (mostly red, brown and black) linen strips. Broadband multispectral imaging (MSI) was initially carried out to obtain preliminary information at the macro-scale on the distribution and chemical nature of the colouring agents. Fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) was then used to survey several coloured areas of the textile wrappings. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) and red ochre were identified non-invasively. Representative samples were then taken and observed using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in order to obtain information at the micro-scale on the distribution of the colouring agents on the fibres, as well as the presence of other materials, including those from environmental contamination. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) revealed the elemental composition of particles and clear areas of the fibres, whereas high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC\u2013MS/MS) provided the identification of the organic dyes at a molecular level. The use of hydrolysable and condensed tannins, in combination with iron as a mordant, was found to be used in the very dark shades, which generally corresponded to the textiles with the worst state of preservation. Nevertheless, other aspects, such as fibre processing and bleaching, fungal attack and presence of coating materials appeared to play a role in the evaluation of the conservation state of these textiles. The characterisation of the dyes and the additional inorganic materials contributed to elucidating the production technology of the colours used for animal mummification, and provided insights into ancient dyeing methods

L'âne dans la religion égyptienne

Parmi tous les animaux présents en Égypte pendant l'antiquité, l'âne occupe une place prépondérante. Attesté dès l'époque prédynastique, il apparaît tout au long de l'histoire de l'Égypte ancienne dans des sources de tous ordres, témoignant de sa prégnance dans l'univers égyptien. Une grande partie des attestations relatives à cet animal provient de documents économiques. Une autre réalité apparaît dans la documentation religieuse, où l'âne est le plus souvent interprété comme un représentant du dieu maléfique Seth. C'est ainsi qu'il est à la fois menaçant et menacé dans la littérature funéraire, magique et médicale. Cette recherche réunit pour la première fois de façon complète la documentation existante et en fait la synthèse. Elle se fonde sur les témoignages figuratifs, textuels et archéologiques afin d'appréhender le regard multiple et complexe porté sur l'âne dans la religion égyptienne ancienne

Mummies of Ancient Egypt, Rediscovering Six Lives

This exhibition book explores the lives of six mummified individuals who once lived in Egypt between the Third Intermediate Period (about 1069-664 BC) and the Roman time (30 BC - AD 395). Using cutting-edge scientific investigations, each mummy offers insights into specific aspects of their lives and deaths, which are further explored through key themes, such as food and diet or how to be a child in ancient Egypt

Under Saint Michael’s protection: a tattoo from Christian Nubia

An article about a tattoo of Saint Michael found on human remains from Nubi

Mummified human remains from Ancient Egypt and Nubia: an overview and new insights from the British Museum collection

An overview of the mummified human remains from Ancient Egypt and Nubia in the British Museum collection as well as a summary of new insights

Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives

Catalogue accompanying the exhibition Exploring the ancient lives at the Queensland Museum, Australia, held from 16 March 2018 to 26 August 2018. Featuring more than 200 artefacts from the world famous Egyptian collections of the British Museum, the exhibition and book provided an insight into the life and death of six individuals who lived in Egypt between 3000 and 1800 years ago

Rediscovering Nestawedjat: Embalming residue analyses reunite the mummified remains of an ancient Egyptian woman with her coffins

Long held museum collections can sometimes lack a clear provenance or context. Here, an ancient Egyptian mummified individual in the British Museum collection was reconnected with a set of three coffins in an interdisciplinary study using bioarchaeological, scientific and Egyptological analyses. Previously assigned as male, based on earlier X-rays due to the presence of radiopaque internal packing, CT scanning was used to re-establish her sex. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were employed to investigate her possible association with the set of coffins that entered the collection at the same time by chemically characterising embalming residues found on her bandages and the innermost coffin. The near identical composition of the samples confirmed that the mummified body was originally buried in these coffins. In both, the analyses revealed embalming residues comprising a seldom reported mixture of beeswax with a fat/oil component, possibly scented with coniferous resins or oils. Atypically, no resin, tar or bituminous components were observed. The previously unnamed individual could now be identified as being the Lady of the House Nestawedjat, a woman who lived in Thebes around 700 BCE

Compositional and Micro-Morphological Characterisation of Red Colourants in Archaeological Textiles from Pharaonic Egypt

When the imagination conjures up an image of an Egyptian mummy, it is normally one of a human body wrapped with undyed linen bandages. However, the reality was much more colourful, as shown by the set of red mummy shrouds and textile fragments from Pharaonic Egypt considered in this work. The textiles were subjected to scientific investigation with the main aim of shedding light on the sources of red colour and on the possible reasons for the different levels of colour fading. The red colourants were investigated using various non-invasive and micro-invasive approaches. The results pointed towards the presence of three sources of red colour, which, in increasing order of lightfastness, are safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), madder (Rubia spp.), and red ochre. Micro-morphological observations and elemental analyses also enabled some hypotheses to be formulated regarding the application of these colourants to the textiles. The results not only deepen our knowledge of dyeing technologies in ancient Egypt and shed new light on the function of red shrouds and textiles as part of the funerary practices of Pharaonic Egypt, but are also essential in planning the display and future preservation of these mummies and their associated textiles