Open AccessMolecular analysis of black coatings and anointing fluids from ancient Egyptian coffins, mummy cases, and funerary objects
Author(s) -
Kate Fulcher,
Margaret Serpico,
John Taylor,
Rebecca Stacey
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2100885118
Subject(s) - embalming , ancient egypt , archaeology , black sea , ancient history , chemistry , geology , geography , history , oceanography
Significance Previous studies of ritual black coatings on coffins from ancient Egypt have taken single small samples from objects of wide-ranging time periods and have conflated different types of application. This study takes 100 samples of black ritual liquids identified by type of application and precisely located on the objects, to allow the results to be fully contextualized within the wider discipline. It shows that black coatings on coffins were made using a remarkably consistent selection of natural products. The molecules identified in these black coatings overlap with those used in Egyptian mummification balms, which may suggest a link among separate applications: preparation of the body for burial, decoration of the coffin, and rites performed during the funeral.