Textiles are among the most fragile artefacts in the world. They are difficult to preserve even in the best circumstances. Herein, we studied an artefacts fabric of a special nature in terms of usage. Despite the multiple applications of textiles, the piece understudy is one of the unique pieces that the ancient Egyptian used as fenders for King Khufu's first solar boat, the second-largest discovery in Egypt history. The boat was discovered inside a limestone pit. It was disassembled and arranged in several layers. Four pillows of wrapped fabric were found in the first layer, which was used as boat fenders. This use is a great discovery of the role of textiles in the manufacture of ancient boats. Thus, we conducted tests and analytical studies of those fenders using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and an optical microscope to identify the type and nature of fibers, spinning method, and aspects of damage. Both energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and infrared analysis (FT-IR) were employed to explore the sample's elemental content and study the functional groups of the fabric. These analytical processes were useful in carrying out the restoration and preservation work necessary for the artefact under study.
The present study aims to investigate the conservation of a wooden coffin of the sacred Ibis Mummy that dates back to the Greco-Roman Period. It was found in Minia excavations and transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2012 for conser-vation. For a better understanding of deterioration and raising awareness of the conservation, many examinations and analyses were done, e.g. visual examination and documentation using AutoCAD (2D), optical microscope, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Infrared spectroscopy to define the type of wood, preparation layer, and binder. The coffin under study was kept in inappropriate conditions, causing further deterioration. Moreover, the surface decorations could be hardly seen because of the dust.After examination, conservation was conducted, including mechanical and chemical cleaning, installing friable painted gesso layers, filling cracks and pores, reassembling of the box and the lid, and adjusting the lid. The conservation was successful. Consequently, the coffin is ready for exhibition or storing.
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