Characterization of the Balm of an Egyptian Mummy from the Seventh Century B.C.

Abstract

An analytical procedure for the characterization of plant resins, waxes, bitumen, oils and their degradation products in mummy balms is described. The method is based on the selective extraction of these compounds from 19 samples with CH2Cl2 and, after drying the residue, with n-hexane, followed by a Florisil chromatographic clean-up step of the non-polar extract and by the saponification of an aliquot of dried CH2Cl2 extract. Polar compounds were derivatized with t-butyl-dimethyl silyl trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTF A). Quantitative determinations were obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The procedure, tested on suitable reference materials such as beeswax and plant resins, showed a recovery of about 100% for non-polar compounds. Using this method, pine resins (P. pinea and P. sylvester), mastic resin (Pistacia lentisca and P. terebinthus), sandarac (Tetraclinis articulata), elemi ( Canarium), dammar (Hopea), myrrh (Commiphera) and a pine resin from the second century A.D. were characterized. Identification was based on the characteristic pattern of the diterpenoid and triterpenoid compounds contained in these natural products. Results on Egyptian mummy samples from the seventh century B.C. were obtained and showed that the main components used in the embalming process were mastic resin from the genus Pistacia, an unidentified vegetable oil, beeswax and bitumen. Terpenoids degraded by a thermal treatment were also found; therefore a hot fluid was used for embalming, confirming the practice hypothesized in the Late Period by egyptologists.