The significance of petroleum bitumen in ancient Egyptian mummies
The significance of petroleum bitumen in ancient Egyptian mummies
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DOI：
10.1098/rsta.2016.0229
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发表时间：
2016-10-28
期刊：
影响因子：
5
通讯作者：
Evershed, R. P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Clark, K. A.;Ikram, S.;Evershed, R. P.
木乃伊化在古埃及已经有3000多年的历史了，这是从对自然干燥保存的埋葬尸体的初步观察中出现的。有机香脂的使用（和其他葬礼习俗）是后来引入的，因为更潮湿的埋葬环境，尤其是坟墓。许多木乃伊的深色导致人们认为石油沥青（或天然沥青）在木乃伊制作过程中无处不在；然而，这个问题已经被质疑了100多年。我们通过调查39具木乃伊（公元前3200年至公元395年）的91种香脂、纸巾和纺织品来验证这一点。通过气相色谱-质谱选择离子监测（GC-MS SIM， m/z 217和191）对目标石油沥青生物标志物（甾烷和藿烷）进行分析表明，在新王国（公元前1550-1070年）之前没有可检测到的沥青使用。然而，50%的新王国到晚期木乃伊使用沥青，托勒密/罗马时期的木乃伊使用沥青的比例上升到87%。使用C-14分析的定量测定显示，即使在峰值使用时，香膏的沥青含量也不会超过45% w/w。至关重要的是，香脂的深色可以通过加热/老化已知用于香脂的脂肪、树脂和蜂蜡的混合物来模拟。黑色/深棕色香膏在尸体上的应用是在新王国之后深思熟虑的，反映了丧葬信仰的变化和宗教意识形态的转变。本文是“定量质谱”专题的一部分。
Mummification was practised in ancient Egypt for more than 3000 years, emerging from initial observations of buried bodies preserved by natural desiccation. The use of organic balms (and other funerary practices) was a later introduction necessitated by more humid burial environments, especially tombs. The dark colour of many mummies led to the assumption that petroleum bitumen (or natural asphalt) was ubiquitous in mummification; however, this has been questioned for more than 100 years. We test this by investigating 91 materials comprising balms, tissues and textiles from 39 mummies dating from ca 3200 BC to AD 395. Targeted petroleum bitumen biomarker (steranes and hopanes) analyses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry selected ion monitoring (GC-MS SIM, m/z 217 and 191) showed no detectable bitumen use before the New Kingdom (ca 1550-1070 BC). However, bitumen was used in 50% of New Kingdom to Late Period mummies, rising to 87% of Ptolemaic/Roman Period mummies. Quantitative determinations using C-14 analyses reveal that even at peak use balms were never more than 45% w/w bitumen. Critically, the dark colour of balms can be simulated by heating/ageing mixtures of fats, resins and beeswax known to be used in balms. The application of black/dark brown balms to bodies was deliberate after the New Kingdom reflecting changing funerary beliefs and shifts in religious ideology.This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantitative mass spectrometry'.