ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL LEATHER DOCUMENT PRESERVED IN EGYPTIAN MUSEUM AND NEW PROPOSAL FOR MUSEUM EXHIBITION

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology and Tourism Guidance, Misr University of Science and Technology, Egypt

2 Head of the museums sector at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt

Abstract

(En) 
This study was done on an archaeological leather document preserved in Egyptian Museum storeroom under N°. JE90809 SR 5/13677, excavated in 1966. The leather document showed different aspects of deterioration types. Different analytical methods were used for identifying the components of the leather document to explain its mechanism of deterioration process. Analytical methods used were: visual assessment, documentation process by high resolution camera and scanner in multispectral imaging (MSI), diagnostic examinations using Multi Spectral Imaging (VIS-UV-IR), isolation and identification of different types of fungi, investigation of the surface morphology and animal type using digital light microscope (Dino light), stereo microscope (S.M.) and polarizing microscope (P.M.), identification of ink binder, amino acids degradation and tanning materials by Fourier transformation infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR). It is a qualitative analysis to give general information concerning collagen, identification of inks by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and measuring the thickness by micro meter. In addition to suggesting a new method for museum exhibition for the archaeological leather document as the preparation of a new method of exhibition is considered one of the most important goals of this study, because the current method of exhibition is regarded as a major reason for the deterioration of the studied document.
The results revealed that the microscopic examinations of samples clarify that the type of skin used was sheep in comparison with the standard samples. It also explained the deformation of the appearance, contaminations from stains and dusts, and damages caused by physical factors. X-ray diffraction results        showed that the ink used was made of carbon black ink. In addition, the results showed that thickness measurement numbers were different which indicate somehow that the manufacturing process was not so perfect. The results of FTIR proved also the degradation of the collagen in the archaeological leather document, the binding agent was Arabic gum and the leather was tanned with vegetable tanning. Isolation and identification of micro-organisms clarified that the most dominant fungi isolated from the archaeological leather document were: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus sulphureus, Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus sydowii, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium islandicum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus terreus.        Finally, the storage of the leather document was very poor which led to different aspects of deterioration. That prompted the authors to suggest a new method for exhibition for the archaeological leather document.
 


(Ar)
JE90809 5/13677 ،قطعة من الجلد الأثري محفوظة في مخزن المتحف المصري برقم 
تم اکتشافها عام 1966 ، وتعانى الوثيقة الجلدية مظاهر التلف المختلفة. ترکز هذه الدراسة على استخدام التقنيات التحليلية الحديثة لتحديد مکونات المخطوطة لشرح عمليات التلف. استخدمت فى الدراسة التقييم البصري ، وعملية التوثيق بواسطة کاميرا عالية الدقة والماسح الضوئي في التصوير متعدد الأطياف (MSI) ، والفحوص التشخيصية باستخدام التصوير متعدد الأطياف (VIS-UV-IR) ، وعزل وتحديد الفطريات ، والتحقيق في الشکل السطحي و نوع الحيوان باستخدام أنواع مختلفة من المجاهر: المجهر الضوئي الرقمي، المجهر الاستريو (SM) ، المجهر الاستقطابي (PM) ، ايضا تم تحديد نوع الحبر ، ومواد الدباغة بواسطة التحليل الطيفي بالأشعة تحت الحمراء (FTIR) ، وتم تحديدنوع الحبر بواسطة حيود الأشعة السينية (XRD) ، وتم قياس السمک للقطعة. بالإضافة إلى اقتراح طريقة جديدة للعرض المتحفى للوثيقة حيث أن طريقة العرض الحالية هي إلى حد ما السبب الذي تسبب في تلف القطعة.
وقد أوضحت نتائج الفحوصات للعينات أن نوع الجلد المستخدم هو الأغنام مقارنة بالعينات القياسية. کما أظهرت نتائج حيود الأشعة السينية أن الحبر الأسود المستخدم هو الحبر الکربونى. بالإضافة إلى ذلک ، أظهرت النتائج اختلافًا في أرقام نتائج قياس السمک للقطعة مما يدل بطريقة أو بأخرى على أن عملية التصنيع لم تکن مثالية. کما أثبتت نتائج FTIR تلف وتدهور الکولاجين في الوثيقة الجلدية ، وکان الوسيط الصمغ العربي والجلد المدبوغ تم دباغته بالتانين (الدباغة النباتية). أوضح عزل الکائنات الحية الدقيقة أن الفطريات المعزولة من هي: Aspergillus niger و Aspergillus sulphureus و Aspergillus versicolor و Aspergillus sydowii و Penicillium chrysogenum و Penicillium islandicum و Alternaria Alternus و Aspergillgillus flavus. وأخيرًا ، کان تخزين المخطوطة رديئًا للغاية مما أدى إلى جوانب مختلفة من التدهور. ودفع ذلک المؤلفين إلى اقتراح طريقة جديدة للعرض المتحفى للوثيقة الجلدية الأثرية.
 

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Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists
Volume 6, Issue 1
January 2021
Pages 136-153

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