Inside The Conservator's Art

A behind-the-scenes look at conserving Egyptian artifacts at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology http://conservationblog.hearstmuseum.dreamhosters.com/?p=277 { 2010 01 04 }

Researching resin
Unwrapped crocodile mummy PAHMA 5-513 is covered with a shiny black coating which we are studying and conserving. Embalmers applied the black material in liquid form directly to much of the crocodiles (and baby crocodiles) skin, evidenced by the drips, smears and bubbles. The black coating presumably contains compounds that have antibacterial properties, and contributed to the long-term preservation of the tissue. It has a resinous appearance, in that it looks like it was a viscous liquid that has formed a shiny film or coating. Although the term resin is frequently used to describe such coatings on Egyptian mummies, in these contexts it refers only to the materials appearance rather than to its chemical composition. Whatever the coating is made of, it has deteriorated and is no longer stable. Networks of cracks have formed in many locations, causing pieces of various sizes to detach.

Shattered resin coating before treatment, PAHMA 5-513. The black coating on PAHMA 5-513 raises questions about ancient Egyptian mummification practices and present day stabilization measures for the crocodile mummy. What kinds of materials make up this substance? What does the coatings appearance reveal about the mummification techniques used to prepare the crocodile body? Is the black coating similar to embalming materials used to mummify human beings? What about other animal mummies, and other crocodile mummies? How costly vs. low-end were these materials in ancient Egypt, and what does that tell us about how the mummy was used and valued? From a practical standpoint, again, what is this material? Why is it deteriorating in this manner? What is its compatibility with potential conservation materials that we can use to treat the shattered and detaching coating? What sort of environment will best preserve it? In order to answer one of the big questions, the composition of the black coating, we have submitted samples of it to Dr. Richard Evershed at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. He and his team will use chromatographic and spectroscopic analytical techniques to characterize the compounds present in the

black substance. In some of his previous research into animal mummy balms, Dr. Evershed and has found mixtures of biomarker components characteristic of fats, oils, beeswax, sugar gum, petroleum bitumen, and several plant resins. These mixtures are similar to the highly complex mixtures used to embalm human mummies from the same period.

Mummification balm samples from three PAHMA mummies ready to be sent for analysis. However, due to time constraints, I must treat the crocodile mummy before we learn the results of the scientific analysis. Therefore I am using more low-tech methods, including visual observation under regular and ultraviolet illumination, microchemical spot tests, and solubility tests to characterize the black coating. In order to see if I could detect plant resins, which have been found in human and animal mummies from this period, I performed a microchemical spot test called the Raspail test on a sample of the coating. The Raspail test (detailed in Odegaard, Carroll and Zimmts excellent spot test book) entails droppering the sample with a saturated solution of sugar in deionized water, mopping up the excess sugar solution, then placing a drop of concentrated sulfuric acid on the sample. When some types of natural resins are present, the solution turns a bright raspberry red over the course of about 20 minutes. I always run a blank (a sample of the same material that is not treated with the sugar solution) because sulfuric acid tends to turn a lot things red/brown, and it helps to be able to see the effect of acid alone. Here are some examples of positive Raspail tests, on sap from a tree and on a piece of fossilized resin:

Examples of positive Raspail test results. Top: sap. Bottom: fossilized resin (amber) and blank. The crocodile mummy coating did not produce a positive result. Both the sample and the control turned the same brownish color, and no raspberry red was observed.

Raspail test results for the black coating from 5-513. This test result doesnt rule out the possibility that plant resins are part of the embalming fluid mixture. They may have been chemically altered during thousands of years of burial, be present in low levels, or simply be of a type that is not responsive to this test.

In order to select the best materials to consolidate (introduce an adhesive to restore integrity to the coating and halt the loss of small pieces) the shattered coating, I also performed solubility tests to see how different solvents interact with the black substance. After tests with a cotton swab and direct immersion of tiny samples, it became clear that the black coating is soluble in more polar solvents including acetone and ethanol, and insoluble in water and petroleum distillates like Stoddard solvent and benzine.

Solubility test results for black coating from 5-513. Because acetone and ethanol partially dissolve the black coating, I will not use an adhesive that is carried in these solvents. Water presents another problem because of the composite nature of the mummy. While water appears to be safe to use on the coating, it affects the moisture-sensitive skin below. So far the petroleum-based solvents appear to be safest way to go when both the coating and the crocodile skin are taken into account, but this limits my choice of consolidants. I will conduct more tests with the potential consolidants themselves before selecting appropriate materials.

Posted by Allison on Monday, January 4, 2010, at 4:48 pm. Filed under Conservation treatments, Mummies and mummification. Tagged Scientific analysis, Spot tests. Follow any responses to this post with its comments RSS feed. You can post a comment or trackback from your blog.