Scientists unlock secrets of ancient Egyptian materials with proteomics

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proteomics archaeology ancient-egyptian materials-science mass-spectrometry

Summary

Scientists used mass spectrometry-based proteomics to analyze ancient Egyptian artifacts, discovering the use of animal-derived proteins like cow glue in adhesives and paints.

<figure class="video ars-wp-video ars-wp-video--horizontal"> <div class="" style=""> <div class="wrapper ars-wp-video-wrapper relative" style="aspect-ratio: 1.7791666666667;"> <video class="wp-video-shortcode absolute w-full h-full object-contain left-0 top-0" id="video-2168880-1" width="854" height="480" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Egypt-Video-1.2.mp4?_=1"></source>Credit: Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm</video> </div> <figcaption> <span class="icon caption-arrow icon-drop-indicator"></span> <div class="caption font-impact dusk:text-gray-300 mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> Credit: Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm </div> </div> </figcaption> </div> </figure> <p>The precise composition of ancient Egyptian paints, binders, adhesives, and similar materials used to make artifacts is largely unknown, in part because a full analysis would require taking samples that would damage those valuable artifacts. The development of cutting-edge, non-destructive techniques has been helping to unlock those secrets, aiding conservation efforts.</p> <p>Most recently, researchers have used mass spectrometry-based proteomics to analyze the glues and adhesives in a broad set of Egyptian artifacts, according to a <a href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ady3618">new paper</a> published in the journal Science Advances. They found plenty of expected sources, such as animal collagens and egg proteins, but also plant proteins, specifically from sesame and drumstick tree (moringa) cereals.</p> <p>As <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/07/x-rays-reveal-hidden-first-drafts-of-ancient-egyptian-paintings-at-theban-necropolis/">previously reported</a>, the ancient Egyptians had a highly formalized (and easily recognizable) painting style, and there has been considerable interest in gaining insights into the specific pigments and painting techniques employed. Common pigments included hematite and realgar for red; goethite and orpiment for yellow; Egyptian blue; Egyptian green; carbon-based black; and calcite, gypsum, anhydrite, and huntite for white. (Just last year, Washington State University researchers were able <a href="https://scienceblog.com/scientists-crack-5000-year-old-recipe-for-egyptian-blue/">to re-create</a> Egyptian blue by mixing together silicon dioxide, copper, calcium, and sodium carbonate in varying proportions and heating them at very high temperatures akin to those of ancient kilns.)</p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/scientists-unlock-secrets-of-ancient-egyptian-materials-with-proteomics/">Read full article</a></p> <p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/scientists-unlock-secrets-of-ancient-egyptian-materials-with-proteomics/#comments">Comments</a></p>
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# Scientists unlock secrets of ancient Egyptian materials with proteomics Source: [https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/scientists-unlock-secrets-of-ancient-egyptian-materials-with-proteomics/](https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/scientists-unlock-secrets-of-ancient-egyptian-materials-with-proteomics/) ## Protein power Mass spectrometry\-based proteomics is a relative newcomer to the field and is capable of providing a thorough and very detailed characterization of any protein residues present in a given sample, as well as any accumulated damage\. The technique is so sensitive that less sample material is needed compared to other methods\. And unlike, say, gas chromatography\-mass spectrometry, it’s also capable of characterizing all proteins present in a sample \(regardless of the complexity of the mixture\), rather than being narrowly targeted to predefined proteins\. In 2023, scientists[used this approach](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade7686)to discover that beer byproducts were popular canvas primers for artists of the Danish Golden Age\. And earlier this year,[we reported](https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/renaissance-diy-science-people-tested-tweaked-home-remedy-recipes/)on the identification of proteins from fingerprints of Renaissance people rifling through the pages of medical manuals, revealing more about how people constructed hands\-on knowledge in that period\. For this latest study, the authors took tiny samples from several Egyptian artifacts housed in different collections in Sweden, the UK, and Denmark, dating between 1425 BCE to 400 CE\. These included painted wooden coffins, wall painting fragments from a tomb, painted plaster used to make a mummy bust, and painted limestone architectural elements\. In addition to those samples, the team also analyzed blank negative control samples and examined the chemical damage to all detected proteins in order to exclude the possibility of laboratory contamination from the final results\. The results confirmed that ancient Egyptians frequently used cow glue, as well as collagens derived from sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and antelope\. Those materials were most likely prepared by boiling animal skin and connective tissue\. These weren’t just found in adhesive samples, but also in samples of paint and ground layers, suggesting that Egyptians chose their materials based on ready availability\. “No notable correlation was observed between the choice of the animal species/part and the object type, the nature of the application, the color, the chronology, the geographical origin, or the use context \(funerary or palatial\),” the authors wrote\.

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