International Research Fellowship Program: The Technology of Cosmetics Fabrication in Middle Kingdom Egypt

Deeb Chris W, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

0205039 Deeb The International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award will support a twelve-month research fellowship by Dr. Christopher Deeb to work with Dr. Jacques Castaing at the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musees de France (C2RMF - the Scientific Laboratory at the Louvre Museum) in Paris, France. This project involves the examination of the methods by which the ancient Egyptians processed raw mineral powders into cosmetics. Artifact powders from Egyptian tombs dating between 2000-1200 BC have previously been studied to determine their mineral composition. These powders are composed of a suite of naturally occurring materials - galena (PbS) and cerussite (PbCO3) - and materials which are not naturally occurring - laurionite (PbOHCl) and phosgenite (Pb2CL2CO3). By consultation with Greco-Roman texts, it is presumed that the latter compounds are the result of wet chemistry. The Ancient Egyptians then performed a certain degree of mechanical grinding and annealing to form the final product. The relationship between the mined and chemically derived raw materials, mechanical processing, and annealing temperature and time will be determined and compared to the actual artifact powders. By this method the Pis will reveal the processing conditions the Egyptians used to make these powders and also shed light on the processing available at that time. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) will be the main tool used, resulting in a precise definition of the processing conditions used by the Ancient Egyptians being the end result. Dr. Castaing has a long history of international collaborations in a wide array of materials science related projects.