Illustrating papyrus in Ancient Egypt.

ABSTRACT: Illustrated papyruses from Ancient Egypt have survived across millennia, depicting with vivid colors numerous stories and practices from a distant past. We have investigated a series of illustrated papyruses from Champollion's private collection showing scenes from the Book of the Dead, a document essential to prepare for the afterlife. The nature of the different pigments and their distribution are revealed by combining optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and fluorescence. The standardized three-step process from the New Kingdom period was used, comprising a preparatory drawing made of red hematite, a coloring step using pigments from the Egyptian palette, and a final black contour drawn with a carbon-based ink. Interestingly, specific pigment

SUBMITTER: Autran PO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9832040 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature