Silicate clasts in the analysed sample tends to make it attainable to exclude
Silicate clasts inside the analysed sample makes it probable to exclude with excellent approximation that the material applied comes from this sector of Egypt and, in specific, in the delta location of the Nile. Inside the southern sector of Egypt, however, sedimentary rocks in the Cretaceous age referred towards the Nubian Sandstone Formation happen [39]. Even the outcrop region of these sandstones can be excluded as the location of origin from the raw material, because the Nubian sandstones are very pure and virtually exclusively produced up of quartz clasts. Finally, the eastern sector of Egypt is characterized by the presence of incredibly ancient crystalline rocks (pre-Cambrian in age, corresponding over to 500 million years), that are referred to as Arab-Nubian shield. To this geological unit belongs both the well-known Aswan granites and metamorphic units of continental crust [40]. Granites quite seldom contain white mica and for that reason it might be excluded that the material comes from the Aswan region. Instead, the distinctive metamorphic units out cropping within the Egyptian Eastern Desert are characterized by metamorphic situations favourable to the stability of phengitic mica. In specific, the eastern desert is crossed by the Wadi Hammamat, an ancient road link in between the Nile and the Red Sea, frequented by the Ancient Egyptians since the fourth dynasty and specially within the Ramesseid era, a period to which the production in the Papyrus from the Mines also dates back [41]. For that reason, depending on the mineralogical data collected making use of the SEM evaluation, it is probable to infer that the raw material for the covering layer of the sculpture is compatible with Egyptian territory. Most likely it comes from places of your eastern desert and was transported along the Wadi Hammamat, though other sources such as the Nile delta and also the Aswan area are to become excluded. 3.1.3. Other Pigments The red pigment inside the sample A (taken from the wig) was attributed to red ochre because from SEM-EDX evaluation it turns out to become wealthy in iron with minor contents of other components for example silicon, aluminium, magnesium and potassium (Figure S1). The outcome was confirmed also by implies of micro-PIXE measurements. Red ochre was a really frequent pigment used starting from the fourth millennium BCE by means of the Roman period [23]. All of the white Bomedemstat Epigenetics layers applied as preparation, each in sample A and sample B, are made of calcite, an additional extremely popular material employed in Ancient Egypt beginning in the Predynastic Period [23]. No presence of sulphur as most important element was observed, excluding the usage of gypsum or anhydrite. In addition, from preliminary micro-PIXE (Figure S4) evaluation no particular differences have been observed in minor and trace elements (Si, S, Cl, Fe and Cu) in the intermediate and 1st layers, even though the result is just not adequate to hypothesize a contemporaneity with the two layers. For what concerns the decorative elements, FT-IR evaluation (Figure S5) carried out on a sample from the white belt have shown the presence of huntite, Mg3 Ca(CO3 )four , a carbonate mineral which gives a brighter white than calcite. Its use in Ancient Egypt is documented beginning from third millennium BCE [23]. No analyses have been Compound 48/80 In Vivo regarded as essential to comprehend the artwork for conservation purposes on black and yellow decorations. The black pigment is made likely of charcoal or carbon also contemplating their robust absorption in IR photos, and also the yellow pigment was attributed to yellow ochre, in consideration of literature, its hue and mor.
