Cats' eyes in a new light: Fourier transform Raman spectroscopic and gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric study of Egyptian mummies
✍ Scribed by H. G. M. Edwards; D. W. Farwell; C. P. Heron; H. Croft; A. R. David
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1999
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 282 KB
- Volume
- 30
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0377-0486
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✦ Synopsis
This study represents the Ðrst application of the combination of Raman spectroscopy as a non-destructive analytical technique with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the identiÐcation of materials used in the preparation of mummiÐed remains from ancient Egypt. The artiÐcial eyes from two mummiÐed catsÏ heads from the Middle Kingdom period (ca. 1800 BC) were found to be largely keratotic in composition and their Raman spectra have a very close resemblance to the Raman spectra of modern catÏs claw. A solvent-soluble portion of one of the eyes was analysed by GC-MS and found to comprise a complex suite of lipids. Although some can be attributed to surface contamination, the data support a contribution of a plant substance (possible a balsam) to the eyes. Clearly, the material of the artiÐcial eyes is neither amber, as was previously suspected, nor any other plant resin which has been identiÐed hitherto. The results of this work suggest that a previously unsuspected ritual in animal mummiÐcation may have been operational.