Analysis of balms taken from Egyptian human mummies using solid‐phase extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to establish a protocol by solid‐phase extraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry leading to a wide and fine qualitative chemical characterization of the several natural substances present in human mummies’ balms, using a minimal quantity of samples. In this study, nine samples were analyzed from mummies dating back from the Third Intermediate Period to the Roman Period, and were provided by the Confluences Museum (Lyon, France). Using solid‐phase extraction, three fractions were examined in this protocol. The first one, eluted with hexane, concerned chemical families of hydrocarbons of bitumen. The second, eluted with ethanol, enabled terpenic compounds to be characterized and beeswax. The last one, composed of diethyl ether with 2% acetic acid, extracted carboxylic acids with a long aliphatic chain (fatty matter) and glycerides. This study also allowed the characterization of non‐saponified compounds from beeswax to be obtained while excluding the common saponification step. The analyzed mummification balms were shown to contain fatty matter, beeswax, bitumen, and diterpenic resinous material. This one‐pot solid‐phase extraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method was efficient in reducing both the number of analytical steps and the complexity of the archaeological balms subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.

Chemical characterization of embalming materials of four ibis mummies from the Musée des Confluences, Lyon

“…Namely, in this study no hydrocarbon diagnostic biomarkers characteristic for bitumen were observed. The absence of diagnostic markers such as steranes and hopanes was confirmed in all chromatograms obtained by complementary experiments using Solid-Phase Extraction protocol (Mezzatesta et al, 2020b). This SPE protocol was performed on all of the samples and it permitted to clearly confirm the occurrence or the absence of bitumen in the studied archaeological samples.…”

“…After trimethylsilylation with, fractions 1 and 2 were solubilized with 60 μL of a hexane/DCM mixture (2/1; v/v) while fraction 3 was solubilized with 1.5 mL of hexane/DCM (2/1; v/v). The three fractions were then filtered on a PTFE cartridge (0.45 μm) before respective injections in GC-MS apparatus (Mezzatesta et al, 2020b).…”

Evaluation of a characterization method of Egyptian human mummy balms by chemometric treatments of infrared data

“…This work highlighted various substances present in mummification balms. PAHs are the only compounds that do not correspond to a natural substance but which have an anthropic origin [33]. Mummy balms containing PAHs appeared apart, and were highlighted by SIMPLISMA.…”

“…The organic phase was recovered and dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate, then filtered on filter paper. The solution was evaporated to dryness under a stream of nitrogen, trimethylsilylated and injected in GC-MS [33].…”

Rethinking the Process of Animal Mummification in Ancient Egypt: Molecular Characterization of Embalming Material and the Use of Brassicaceae Seed Oil in the Mummification of Gazelle Mummies from Kom Mereh, Egypt

“…After trimethylsilylation, fractions 1 and 2 were solubilized with 60 μL of a hexane/DCM mixture (2/1; v/v ), while fraction 3 was solubilized with 1.5 mL of hexane/DCM (2/1; v/v ). The three fractions were then filtered on a PTFE cartridge (0.45 μm) before respective injections in GC–MS apparatus [ 46 ].…”