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Cats' eyes in a new light: Fourier transform Raman spectroscopic and gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric study of Egyptian mummies
Author(s) -
Edwards H. G. M.,
Farwell D. W.,
Heron C. P.,
Croft H.,
David A. R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of raman spectroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.748
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1097-4555
pISSN - 0377-0486
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4555(199902)30:2<139::aid-jrs369>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - raman spectroscopy , chemistry , chromatography , mass spectrometry , gas chromatography , mass spectrum , solvent , analytical chemistry (journal) , organic chemistry , optics , physics
This study represents the first application of the combination ofRaman spectroscopy as a non‐destructive analytical techniquewith gas chromatography–mass spectrometry(GC–MS) for the identification of materials used inthe preparation of mummified remains from ancient Egypt. Theartificial eyes from two mummified cats' heads from the MiddleKingdom period ( ca . 1800 BC) were found to belargely keratotic in composition and their Raman spectra have a veryclose resemblance to the Raman spectra of modern cat's claw. Asolvent‐soluble portion of one of the eyes was analysed byGC–MS and found to comprise a complex suite of lipids. Althoughsome can be attributed to surface contamination, the data support acontribution of a plant substance (possible a balsam) tothe eyes. Clearly, the material of the artificial eyes is neitheramber, as was previously suspected, nor any other plant resin whichhas been identified hitherto. The results of this work suggest that apreviously unsuspected ritual in animal mummification may have beenoperational. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.