Multifactorial Analysis of Wood Deterioration in Ancient Egypt: A Case Study of Khufu’s Second Solar Boat
This study presents a multi-analytical investigation of the wooden components from Khufu’s Second Solar Boat, one of the valuable archaeological discoveries in ancient Egypt. The research integrates advanced imaging and analytical techniques to identify wood species, assess deterioration patterns, a...
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2025-04-01
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| author | Shimaa Ibrahim Paola Grenni Lucia Mancini Marco Voltolini Hanan Mohamed Kamal Abdel-Fatah Ahmed Refaat Dina M. Atwa |
| author_facet | Shimaa Ibrahim Paola Grenni Lucia Mancini Marco Voltolini Hanan Mohamed Kamal Abdel-Fatah Ahmed Refaat Dina M. Atwa |
| author_sort | Shimaa Ibrahim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study presents a multi-analytical investigation of the wooden components from Khufu’s Second Solar Boat, one of the valuable archaeological discoveries in ancient Egypt. The research integrates advanced imaging and analytical techniques to identify wood species, assess deterioration patterns, and characterize the fungal and bacterial biodeteriogens. The initial visual examination documented the state of preservation at the time of discovery. Subsequently, the identification of the wood species was carried out. The deterioration status was assessed using a variety of tools, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution synchrotron radiation computed microtomography (SR-μCT) for morphological alterations, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystallinity changes and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to assess chemical degradation indexes of wood. Moreover, molecular techniques were used to identify and characterize the presence of biodeterioration agents. Results indicate that ancient craftsmen used cedar wood for the boat construction. The analysed samples exhibited advanced biotic and abiotic degradation, as evidenced by microbiological assessments, XRD measurements of cellulose crystallinity, FTIR indices, SEM micrographs and SR-μCT data. These results provide crucial insights into the long-term degradation processes of archaeological wood in arid environments, enhancing our understanding of ancient Egyptian woodworking practices and informing future conservation strategies for similar artifacts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-daea4a909aba4e31abd77d690daea826 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-daea4a909aba4e31abd77d690daea8262025-08-20T02:09:11ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-04-01157395210.3390/app15073952Multifactorial Analysis of Wood Deterioration in Ancient Egypt: A Case Study of Khufu’s Second Solar BoatShimaa Ibrahim0Paola Grenni1Lucia Mancini2Marco Voltolini3Hanan Mohamed Kamal Abdel-Fatah4Ahmed Refaat5Dina M. Atwa6Grand Egyptian Museum, Conservation Center, Ministry of Antiquities, Museums Sector, El-Remaya Square, Giza 12561, EgyptNational Research Council, Water Research Institute, Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00010 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Materials, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG), Dimičeva Ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaDepartment of Earth Sciences “Ardito Desio”, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Botany, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, EgyptSpectroscopy Department, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., Dokki, Giza 12622, EgyptDepartment of Laser Interaction with Matters, Laser Institute for Research and Applications, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62517, EgyptThis study presents a multi-analytical investigation of the wooden components from Khufu’s Second Solar Boat, one of the valuable archaeological discoveries in ancient Egypt. The research integrates advanced imaging and analytical techniques to identify wood species, assess deterioration patterns, and characterize the fungal and bacterial biodeteriogens. The initial visual examination documented the state of preservation at the time of discovery. Subsequently, the identification of the wood species was carried out. The deterioration status was assessed using a variety of tools, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution synchrotron radiation computed microtomography (SR-μCT) for morphological alterations, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystallinity changes and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to assess chemical degradation indexes of wood. Moreover, molecular techniques were used to identify and characterize the presence of biodeterioration agents. Results indicate that ancient craftsmen used cedar wood for the boat construction. The analysed samples exhibited advanced biotic and abiotic degradation, as evidenced by microbiological assessments, XRD measurements of cellulose crystallinity, FTIR indices, SEM micrographs and SR-μCT data. These results provide crucial insights into the long-term degradation processes of archaeological wood in arid environments, enhancing our understanding of ancient Egyptian woodworking practices and informing future conservation strategies for similar artifacts.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/7/3952archaeological wood conservationmulti-analytical characterizationbiodeterioration analysisancient Egyptian woodworkingX-ray microtomographyLebanon cedar |
| spellingShingle | Shimaa Ibrahim Paola Grenni Lucia Mancini Marco Voltolini Hanan Mohamed Kamal Abdel-Fatah Ahmed Refaat Dina M. Atwa Multifactorial Analysis of Wood Deterioration in Ancient Egypt: A Case Study of Khufu’s Second Solar Boat Applied Sciences archaeological wood conservation multi-analytical characterization biodeterioration analysis ancient Egyptian woodworking X-ray microtomography Lebanon cedar |
| title | Multifactorial Analysis of Wood Deterioration in Ancient Egypt: A Case Study of Khufu’s Second Solar Boat |
| title_full | Multifactorial Analysis of Wood Deterioration in Ancient Egypt: A Case Study of Khufu’s Second Solar Boat |
| title_fullStr | Multifactorial Analysis of Wood Deterioration in Ancient Egypt: A Case Study of Khufu’s Second Solar Boat |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multifactorial Analysis of Wood Deterioration in Ancient Egypt: A Case Study of Khufu’s Second Solar Boat |
| title_short | Multifactorial Analysis of Wood Deterioration in Ancient Egypt: A Case Study of Khufu’s Second Solar Boat |
| title_sort | multifactorial analysis of wood deterioration in ancient egypt a case study of khufu s second solar boat |
| topic | archaeological wood conservation multi-analytical characterization biodeterioration analysis ancient Egyptian woodworking X-ray microtomography Lebanon cedar |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/7/3952 |
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