ALL THE REDS, BLUES, AND GREENS

Ancient Egyptian painters left us millions of colourful objects, but no writings about their trade. Consequently, we are left relying on archaeology to learn about painting in ancient Egypt. What pigments did they use which could stay bright for thousands of years? How can we identify them today?

Sean Manning

SPECIAL PAINTING AND PIGMENTS IN ANCIENT EGYPT The study of ancient pigments developed with the modern science of chemistry. Already in the eighteenth century, the discovery of paintings and cakes of pigment at Pompeii inspired investigations of ancient pigments. Researchers today can use a variety of destructive and nondestructive techniques to analyze Egyptian pigments. Flakes of paint can be examined under a microscope to discern the individual grains of pigment. The same flakes can be placed in a scanning electron microscope that launches beams of electrons at them, which can magnify an image more than optical microscopes. The impact of the beam can also cause the object to emit X-rays. With the right additional equipment, these X-ray emissions can be used to measure the percentage of the sample which is made…

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Ancient History (Digital) - 1 Issue, AH 49

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