Abstract
During this study, the principal aim carried out was to obtain more information about technique and conservation conditions of the Egyptian wall paintings during the Roman period in the funerary house in necropolis of Tuna el-Gabal, El-Minia-Upper Egypt. It’s going back to 2nd century AD and involves different sites of Ptolemaic and Roman chapels; some are in the immaculate established style while others are a blend of Pharaonic-Greek style and both are secured with mural painting. Deterioration problems observed on the wall paintings of the funerary house are, loss of plaster layers, disintegration of plaster layers, loss of paint layers (blistering and peeling), discoloration and severely damaged owing to a lot of deterioration factors as weakness of mud brick support, deterioration of surface treatments and to the widespread presence of different salts. The materials used in the painting, preparation layers and the state of conservation of the mural painting at funerary house were investigated by integrated physio-chemical measurements, particularly micro-Raman spectroscopy (µRaman), light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). In addition, the morphology of multilayer plaster from wall painting was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). A wide color palette utilized as a part of the necropolis has been identified with mineral pigments and pigment mixtures. It is found that, the paints were based on an organic binder and traditional pigments (azurite, hematite, ochre, vegetable black) were used as colorants on plaster. The examination demonstrated that the preparatory layer is verging on made of pure lime while the plaster layer based mainly of lime and gypsum with variable amounts of quartz. The obtained results provided information about the painting technique, chemical composition, crystal structure in addition to the stratigraphy of the paint layers and the state of preservation and on the causes of the painting deterioration. Furthermore, the obtained results can be used in the conservation and restoration interventions of these sites.
Highlights
The Ancient Egypt site of Tuna el-Gebel is outskirts of Amarna and the capital of the pharaoh Akhenaten is one of several necropolises of ancient Hermopolis (Modern Ashmunein); it situated about 300 km south of Cairo, in Middle Egypt on the western side of the Nile, west of the modern village of Deirut
The materials used in the painting, preparation layers and the state of conservation of the mural painting at funerary house were investigated by integrated physio-chemical measurements, micro-Raman spectroscopy, light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR)
Below the main paint layer, over painting technique was observed, the painters put the rough plaster at the mud brick tombs, paint layer with yellow pigment, plaster layer mixed with fine particles of yellow paint and the final is paint layer of the tomb (Figure 4(d))
Summary
The Ancient Egypt site of Tuna el-Gebel is outskirts of Amarna and the capital of the pharaoh Akhenaten is one of several necropolises of ancient Hermopolis (Modern Ashmunein); it situated about 300 km south of Cairo, in Middle Egypt on the western side of the Nile, west of the modern village of Deirut. It is the necropolis of Hermopolis Magna, ancient capital of the 15th Nome and cult centre of Thot, god of writing and sciences [1]. The painting is executed in conventional Egyptian way and some of figures are rendered in the tradition and clothing normal for Greco-Roman
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