A review of ancient Egyptian pigments and cosmetics

Scott, David A.

doi:10.1179/2047058414y.0000000162

Cited by 79 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…For much of recorded history, up to the 17-18th century, the pigments were mainly the minerals and the synthetic compounds described in the preceding texts. [180] [181] Then, large amounts of chemically synthesized pigments were introduced starting from the 19th century. [182] Raman spectroscopy technique is a most elegant method for pigment analysis of relevant artistic and archaeological materials.…”

Section: Mineral Pigmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raman spectroscopy of minerals and mineral pigments in archaeometry

Bersani

Lottici

2016

J Raman Spectroscopy

143

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Minerals, as raw structural materials or pigments, play a fundamental role in archaeometry, for the understanding of nature, structure and status of an artefact or object of interest for cultural heritage. A detailed knowledge of the mineral phases is crucial to solve archaeological problems: Raman spectroscopy is a powerful investigation technique and has been applied extensively in the last 30 years on mineral identification and on pigment degradation. Here we report an updated review, covering the last decade, of the applications of Raman techniques to issues in which raw minerals, including mineral pigments, are involved. Particular attention is devoted to cases where the Raman analysis of minerals is deeper than a simple identification of the phases present in an archaeological or artistic object. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Mineral Pigmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raman spectroscopy of minerals and mineral pigments in archaeometry

Bersani

Lottici

2016

J Raman Spectroscopy

143

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“…Likewise, the use of calcite and calcium sulphate identified in the portraits was ubiquitous in both Pharaonic Egyptian as well as Graeco‐Roman painting traditions (Lee and Quirke ; Pagès‐Camagna and Guichard ; Scott ). New to Egypt, however, in the Ptolemaic period and originating from the Greek traditions of painting (Pagès‐Camagna and Guichard ; Scott ) was the use of organic colourants, such as madder and indigo, fixed on to an inorganic substrate such as calcium sulphate. Similarly, the use of lead white and minium pigments has not been reported prior to the Ptolemaic in Egypt (Blom‐Böer ; Cartwright and Middleton ; Pagès‐Camagna and Guichard ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As detailed in the supplementary online 'Methods' section, non-invasive in-situ X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and reflection-mode Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used on all the portraits to obtain information about inorganic pigments, the binding medium and some of their corresponding degradation compounds at selected locations on the painted surfaces. These methods were complemented with wide-field visible hyperspectral imaging (HSI), to investigate the distribution across the painted surface of specific inorganic (e.g., iron-based compounds) and organic colourants (e.g., red lake, indigo) frequently used during the Roman period (Accorsi et al 2009;Liang 2012;Dooley et al 2014;Vitorino et al 2015;Scott 2016). To aid in the interpretation of the image-based data and to supplement observations from the in-situ analyses, a limited number of microsamples were taken from a single portrait (6-21378b) for analysis using transmission-mode FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), pyrolysisgas chromatographymass spectrometry with thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM-Py-GCMS), micro-Raman spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), as well as synchrotron radiation (SR)-based X-ray micro-spectroscopic methods: micro X-ray absorption near edge structure (μ-XANES) spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction (μ-XRPD).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Roman Egyptian Painting Workshop: Technical Investigation of the Portraits from Tebtunis, Egypt

et al. 2017

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Roman‐period mummy portraits are considered to be ancient antecedents of modern portraiture. However, the techniques and materials used in their manufacture are not thoroughly understood. Analytical study of the pigments as well as the binding materials helps to address questions on what aspects of the painting practices originate from Pharaonic and/or Graeco‐Roman traditions, and can aid in determining the provenance of the raw materials from potential locations across the ancient Mediterranean and European worlds. Here, one of the largest assemblages of mummy portraits to remain intact since their excavation from the site of Tebtunis in Egypt was examined using multiple analytical techniques to address how they were made. The archaeological evidence suggests that these portraits were products of a single workshop and, correspondingly, they are found to be made using similar techniques and materials: wax‐based and lead white–rich paint combined with a variety of iron‐based pigments (including hematite, goethite and jarosite), as well as Egyptian blue, minium, indigo and madder lake to create subtle variations and tones.

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“…Additional evidence for the early use of cosmetics comes for archeological finds demonstrating that already around 10,000 BC men and women in ancient Egypt used scented oils and ointments to clean and soften their skin and mask their body odor [5]. From about 3,000 BC on, the use of beauty products and makeup became more widespread in Egypt [6] and expanded to large parts of Africa and Asia [7].…”

Section: Background the Ancient Timesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever”. Plants and plant-based preparations for facial care in Suriname

Mans¹,

Grant²

2017

Clin Med Invest

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People have probably used plant-based substances to improve their appearance since the existence of mankind. The first documented use of cosmetics dates back to 3,000 BC from ancient Egypt, but it is safe to say that this custom has been (and still is) an integral part of daily life in all civilizations. The initial use of plantderived makeup -sometimes supplemented with paints and dyes -has come full circle and is back with the contemporary trend of using beauty products that are mainly derived from plant sources. The Republic of Suriname (South America) is renowned for its extensive ethnopharmacological knowledge and unique plant biodiversity that provides ample raw material that can be processed into cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. This paper gives some historical highlights on the use of makeup throughout the world with the emphasis on naturally-derived products; focuses on the herbal cosmetics industry in Suriname; extensively addresses the scientific rationale for incorporating extracts from plants in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals in the country; and concludes with the conditions to establish a beauty products industry in Suriname.

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A review of ancient Egyptian pigments and cosmetics

Cited by 79 publications

References 76 publications

Raman spectroscopy of minerals and mineral pigments in archaeometry

Raman spectroscopy of minerals and mineral pigments in archaeometry

A Roman Egyptian Painting Workshop: Technical Investigation of the Portraits from Tebtunis, Egypt

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever”. Plants and plant-based preparations for facial care in Suriname

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