The determination of the origin of natural bitumen in mummifying resins of Ancient Egyptian mummies from the collection of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

Abstract

This work presents the results of a study of the resins of seven Ancient Egyptian mummies from the collection of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts using a complex of analytical methods: gas chromatography, atomic emission and mass spectrometry. Natural bitumen and beeswax were identified in the resins using the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method. Based on the results of hydrocarbon distribution in the profiles of n-alkanes in the resin coatings of the mummies and naturally occurring bitumen, it was assumed that the Dead Sea bitumen was used. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry studies of mummy resins in the selected ion mode (m/z 217 and 191) provided additional evidence of the bitumen’s geographic origin. Atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma was used as a means to determine the content of microelements. Vanadium, nickel and molybdenum were found in the tar of five mummies. The determined relative amounts of vanadium, nickel, and molybdenum in the resins of the studied mummies showed a good correlation with the available data on the content of these elements in the Dead Sea bitumen, as well as the Fayum mummy resin based on this bitumen. The advantages of using the method of identifying bitumen in mummy resins based on relative content of vanadium, nickel, and molybdenum were revealed.

Keywords

• ancient egyptian mummies
• natural bitumen
• gas chromatography
• mass spectrometry
• atomic emission spectrometry