The Egyptian coffin from the Archaeological Museum of Carmo: material and technical study

Authors

  • Isabel Pombo Cardoso Departamento de Conservação e Restauro e LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3328-6749
  • Teresa Quilhó Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8353-3459
  • Vicelina Sousa Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4221-0041
  • Sara Santana de Sá Departamento de Conservação e Restauro e LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4822-4252
  • Susana França de Sá Departamento de Conservação e Restauro e LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2445-9361
  • Vera Martins Departamento de Conservação e Restauro e LAQV-REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
  • Célia Pereira Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, Lisboa, Portugal
  • Rogério Sousa Centro de História, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8253-1707

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14568/cp26559

Keywords:

Egyptian coffin, F. sycomorus L., Ground layers, Polychromy, Pigments, Vegetal gum

Abstract

The material and technical study of the anthropomorphic coffin (No. Inv. MAC/MUM.1) belonging to the Archaeological Museum of Carmo, in Lisbon, Portugal, carried out by an interdisciplinary team, sought to complete the existing textual and iconographic study on the same coffin, as well as rectify and complete the data from another partial technical study. According to previous studies, the coffin was produced between the Low Period and the beginning of the Ptolemaic period (6th to 2nd centuries BCE), possibly in Akhmim. This work presents results regarding the coffin’s wooden support and polychromy, as well as its current state of conservation. It involved the macro and microscopic examination of the object and the analytical characterization of micro-samples by XRF, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR-ATR, and SEM. The materials identified both in polychromy and in the production of the support indicate the use of materials traditional from the Pharaonic Egypt.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Cooney, K. M., ‘Coffins, Cartonnage, and Sarcophagi’, in A Companion to Ancient Egyptian Art, ed. M. K. Hartwig, Wiley-Blackwell, West Sussex (2015) 269-292.

Baines, J.; Lacovara, P., ‘Burial and the dead in ancient Egyptian society: Respect, formalism, neglect’, Journal of Social Archaeology 2(1) (2002) 5-36, https://doi.org/10.1177/146960530200200159.

Teeter, E., ‘Religion and Ritual’, in A Companion to Ancient Egyptian Art, ed. M.K. Hartwig, Wiley-Blackwell, West Sussex (2015) 328-343.

Araújo, L. M., ‘Sarcófago e múmia egípcias’, in Museu Arqueológico do Carmo. Roteiro da Exposição Permanente, eds. J. M. Arnaud e C. V. Fernandes, Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses, Lisboa (2002) 137-141.

Araújo, L. M., ‘O sarcófago e a múmia egípcia’, in Construindo a Memória. As Colecções do Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, eds. J. M. Arnaud e C. V. Fernandes, Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses, Lisboa (2005) 535-545.

Ribeiro, I., ‘Ficha-Relatório Lab 1-80’, incluída na pasta referente a uma cartonagem facial pertencente ao Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, existente no arquivo do atual Laboratório José de Figueiredo (1983).

Murta, E., ‘Experiência de egiptologia no Instituto de José de Figueiredo: Sarcófago, Múmias e Máscaras’, in Novos Trabalhos de Egiptologia Ibérica, eds. L. M. Araújo e J. C. Sales, Instituto Oriental da Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa, Lisboa (2012) 831-840.

Perdu, O., ‘Saites and Persians (664-332)’, in A Companion to Ancient Egypt, ed. A. B. Lloyd, Wiley-Blackwell, West Sussex (2010) 140–158.

Vandorpe, K., ‘The Ptolemaic Period’, in A Companion to Ancient Egypt, ed. A. B. Lloyd, Wiley-Blackwell, West Sussex (2010) 159–179.

Kakoulli, I., ‘Late Classical and Hellenistic painting techniques and materials: a review of the technical literature’, Studies in Conservation 47(sup1) (2002) 56-67, https://doi.org/10.1179/sic.2002.47.Supplement-1.56.

Barbosa, A.; Pace, M.; Witovisk, L.; Angyalossy, V., ‘A new method to obtain good anatomical slides of heterogeneous plant parts’, International Association of Wood Anatomists Journal 31(4) (2010) 373-383, https://doi.org/10.1163/22941932-90000030.

Wheeler, E. A.; Baas, P.; Gasson, P. E., ‘IAWA list of microscopic features for hardwood Identification’, IAWA Bulletin 10(3) (1989) 219-332.

‘InsideWood’ 2004-onwards, http://insidewood.lib.ncsu.edu/search (acesso em 2021-06-17).

Fahn A.; Werker, E.; Bass, P., Wood Anatomy and Identification of trees and Shrubs from Israel and Adjacent Regions, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem (1986).

Hather, J.G., The Identification of the Northern European Woods – A guide for archaeologists and conservators, Archetype Publications Lda., London (2000).

Crivellaro A.; Schweingruber, F.H., Atlas of Wood, Bark and Pith Anatomy of Eastern Mediterranean Trees and Shrubs with Special Focus on Cyprus, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg (2013).

Koek-Noorman, J.; Topper, S.M.C.; Welle, B.J.H. ter, ‘The systematic wood anatomy of the Moraceae (Urticales) III. Tribe Ficeae’, lAWA Bulletin 5(4) (1984) 330-334.

Abdrabou, A.; Abdallah, M.; Abd el Kader, M., ‘Analytical study and conservation processes of a painted wooden Graeco-Roman coffin’, International Journal of Conservation Science 6(4) (2015) 573-586, http://www.ijcs.uaic.ro/public/IJCS-15-40_Abdrabou.pdf.

Zidan, Y.; Hadidi, N.; Mohamed, M., ‘Examination and analyses of a wooden face at the Museum storage at the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University’, Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry 16(2) (2016) 1-11, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.47538.

Abdallah, M.; Abdrabou, A., ‘Tutankhamen’s small shrines (naoses): technology of woodworking and identification of wood species’, International Journal of Conservation Science 9(1) (2018) 91-104, http://www.ijcs.uaic.ro/public/IJCS-18-08_Abdallah.pdf.

De Meyer, M., ‘Reading a Burial Chamber: Anatomy of a First Intermediate Period Coffin in Context’, in Ancient Egyptian Coffins: Craft Traditions and Functionality, eds. J.H. Taylor e M. Vandenbeusch, British Museum Publications on Egypt and Sudan 4, Peeters, Leuven (2018) 217–230.

Arbuckle, C., ‘A Social History of Coffins and Carpenters in Ancient Egypt’, Dissertação de Doutoramento, Department of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles (2018).

Afifi, H.; Hamed, S.; Mohamedy S.; Dawod, M., ‘A Dating Approach of a Refundable Wooden Egyptian coffins lid’, Scientific Culture 5(1) (2019) 15-22.

Abdrabou, A.; Sultan, G. M.; Elkader M. A.; Kamal, H. M., ‘Non-invasive wood identification on parts of King Horemheb’s ritual couches (New kingdom)’, Conservar Património 36(2020) 12-19, https://doi.org/10.14568/cp2019038.

Hossain, M., ‘A review on Ficus sycomorus: A potential indigenous medicinal plant in Oman’, Journal of King Saud University - Science 31(4) (2019) 961-965, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2018.07.002.

Gale, R.; Gasson, P.; Hepper, N.; Killen, G., ‘Wood’, in Ancient Egyptian materials and technology, eds. P. T. Nicholson e I. Shaw, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2000) 334-371.

Davies, W. V., ‘Ancient Egyptian timber imports: an analysis of wooden coffins in the British Museum’, in Egypt, the Aegean and the Levant: Interconnections in the Second Millennium BC, eds. W. V. Davies e L. Schofield, BMP, London (1995) 146-156.

Abdrabou, A.; Abdallah, M.; Kamal, H. M., ‘Scientific investigation by technical photography, OM, ESEM, XRF, XRD and FTIR of an ancient Egyptian polychrome wooden coffin’, Conservar Património 26 (2017) 51-63, http://dx.doi.org/10.14568/cp2017008.

Boyatzis, S. C.; Velivasaki, G.; Malea, E., ‘A study of the deterioration of aged parchment marked with laboratory iron gall inks used FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and micro hot table’, Heritage Science 4(13) (2016) 1-17, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-016-0083-4.

Pombo Cardoso, I.; Pye, E., ‘Preparing the foundation for stable gilding: scientific evaluation of the durability of Baroque gesso gilding grounds’, Journal of Archaeological Science 79(2017) 86-95, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2017.01.014.

The RRUFF Project: Raman – Quartzo, https://rruff.info/quartz/display=default/R040031 (acesso em 2022-06-1).

The RRUFF Project: Raman – Calcite, https://rruff.info/calcite/display=default/R040070 (acesso em 2022-06-1).

Base de dados CHSOS – negro de carbono, https://chsopensource.org/lamp-black-k-47250/ (acesso em 2022-06-1).

Base de dados CHSOS – azul egípcio, https://chsopensource.org/egyptian-blue-k-10060/ (acesso em 2022-06-1).

The RRUFF Project: Raman – Hematite, https://rruff.info/hematite/display=default/R050300 (acesso em 2022-06-1).

Base de dados CHSOS – ocre amarelo, https://chsopensource.org/yellow-ochre-k-40010/ (acesso em 2022-06-1).

The RRUFF Project: Raman – Hematite, https://rruff.info/hematite/display=default/R050300 (acesso em 2022-06-1).

Strudwick, H.; Dawson, J., Death on the Nile: Uncovering the Afterlife of Ancient Egypt, Fitzwilliam Museum in association with D Giles Limited, Cambridge, London (2016).

Carbó, M. D.; Martínez, V. P.; Adelantado J. G.; Reig, F. B.; Moreno, M. M., ‘Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the analytical study of sculptures and wall decoration’, Journal of Molecular Structure 410(1997) 559-563, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-2860(96)09749-9.

Andersen, F. A.; Brecevic, L., ‘Infrared spectra of amorphous and crystalline calcium carbonate’, Acta Chem. Scand 45(10) (1991) 1018-1024, https://doi.org/10.3891/acta.chem.scand.45-1018.

Scott, D. A., ‘A review of ancient Egypian pigments and cosmetics’, Studies in Conservation 61(4) (2016) 185–202, https://doi.org/10.1179/2047058414Y.0000000162.

Newman, R.; Halpine, S. M., ‘The binding media of ancient Egyptian painting’, in Colour and Painting in Ancient Egypt, ed. W. V. Davies, The British Museum Press, London (2001) 22-32.

Lee, L.; Quirke, S., ‘Painting materials’, in Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, eds. P. Nicholson e I. Show, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2000) 104-119.

Hedegaard, S. B.; Delbey, T.; Brøn, C.; Rasmussen, K.L., ‘Painting the Palace of Apries II: ancient pigments of the reliefs from the Palace of Apries, Lower Egypt’, Heritage Science 7(54) (2019), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-019-0296-4.

Heywood, A., ‘The use of huntite as a white pigment in ancient Egypt’, in Colour and Painting in Ancient Egypt, ed. W. V Davies, The British Museum Press, London (2001) 5-9.

Vahur, S.; Teearu, A.; Peets, P.; Joosu, L.; Leito, I., ‘ATR-FT-IR spectral collection of conservation materials in the extended region of 4000-80 cm–1’, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 408(13) (2016) 3373-3379, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9411-5.

Analytical Methods Committee AMCTB No. 103, ‘Wax and wax-like materials – the what, where, and how in heritage collections’, Analytical Methods 13 (2021) 2075-2078, https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ay90035h.

Detalhes do ataúde onde se observam diferentes patologias

Published

2022-12-31

How to Cite

Pombo Cardoso, I., Quilhó, T., Sousa, V., Santana de Sá, S., França de Sá, S., Martins, V., Pereira, C., & Sousa, R. (2022). The Egyptian coffin from the Archaeological Museum of Carmo: material and technical study. Conservar Património, 41, 95–116. https://doi.org/10.14568/cp26559

Issue

Section

Articles