Multimodal noninvasive approach revealing the ancient  Egyptian palette
Creators: name: Ravan, Eva Luna
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023

description: Multimodal noninvasive approach revealing the ancient Egyptian palette 

E.L. Ravan(1,2), F.P. Romano(1,3), C. Caliri(1,3), C. Miliani(1), D. Buti(4),  D. Magrini(4), C. Conti(5), A. Botteon(5), M. Realini(5), E. Davanzo(6),  E. Ferraris(7), V. Turina (7), F.Rosi(8)  

(1) CNR-ISPC, Via Biblioteca 4, 95124, Catania, Italy (2) “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy (3) LNS-INFN, Via Santa Sofia 62, 95123, Catania, Italy (4) CNR-ISPC, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy (5) CNR-ISPC, Via Cozzi 53, 20125, Milano, Italy (6) University of Bologna - Ravenna Campus, Via Guaccimanni 42, 48100 Ravenna, Italy (7) Museo Egizio, Via Accademia delle Scienze 6, 10134, Torino, Italy (8) CNR-SCITEC, Via Elce di Sotto, 8, Perugia, Italy 

A non-invasive multi-modal approach aimed at detailing materials and artistic techniques was used to investigate six painted boxes belonging to the intact grave goods of the Tomb of Kha and Merit (late 18th dynasty, ~1350 BC), found in the theban necropolis in 1906 by the Missione Archeologica Italiana [1-2] and now conserved at the Egyptian Museum in Turin. The six boxes, although attributed to the same period show evident stylistic differences: three being decorated with geometrical elements and the other three showing figurative/symbolic representation of Egyptian tradition. Attributing these differences to objects belonging to distinct dead persons (Merit or Kha) or to the so-called "temporary workshop", a flexible and unstructured workshop organization of the craftsmen, is still unknown and a topic of debate. To give new insights into this subject, a scientific study of materials and techniques was carried out by the portable non invasive techniques of the Italian national hub of the European infrastructure for heritage science (www.ERIHS.it). Non-invasiveness of the approach enabled extensive investigation of the objects acquiring several compositional data depicting a huge variability in the selection of painting materials and techniques. Multimodality of the methodology enabled to overcome intrinsic limitation of single investigation/technique providing for a detailed picture of both inorganic and organic materials, original, retouching and degradation products. Elemental imaging through MAXRF has been integrated with single point molecular spectroscopies (reflection Vis-NIR, Raman & SORS, external reflection mid&near FT-IR) and Macro X-ray diffraction (MA-XRD) by a synergistic and dynamic analytical approach aimed at maximizing the compositional information.  Along with the widespread use of Egyptian blue, found not only on the blue areas, but also for green and dark/black paints, a variety of green (Egyptian green, copper oxalates and carboxylates), black (pyrolusite & manganite, C-based), red (ochre, realgar) and orange (ochre, orpiment) pigments has been assessed. Arsenic-based degradation compounds have also been identified (pararealgar and arsenolite). The non-invasive study was able to inform also about inorganic accessory compounds in mixture with the pigments as well as about the organic binder identified as gum in most of the boxes with some exceptions including fatbased binders, protein and waxes. 

[1] E. Schiaparelli, La tomba intatta dell’architetto Kha nella Necropoli di Tebe, Turin: Casa Editrice Giovanni Chiantore 1927.  [2] E. Ferraris, La tomba di Kha e Merit, Modena: Franco Cosimo Panini 2018