Polish boffins attempt recreating ancient Egyptian dye making process

Polish scientists are trying to recreate the complicated methods of producing dyes as practiced by the Egyptians thousands of years before.

Warsaw, Oct 1 : Polish scientists are trying to recreate the complicated methods of producing dyes as practiced by the Egyptians thousands of years before.

Egyptians knew many complicated methods of producing dyes and used them to create many magnificent frescoes, which cover the walls of temples, royal palaces and tombs.

Time and atmospheric factors have, however, caused the paintings to lose their initial colours and sheen. Chemical reactions have modified the content of the pigment, as a result of which, the colours we see today, are very distant from the pieces created by their ancient maestros.

Now, scientists at the Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies in Swierk, Poland, are using modern technique to recreate these processes to restore the ancient masterpieces to their former glory.

Andrzej Soltan spokesman, Dr Marek Pawlowski said, their study is a bit like a fascinating detective adventure.

Together with Shaaban Abd El Aal, an Egyptian expert, Prof. Andrzej Turos is using a technique whereby samples of plaster covered in ancient dyes are radiated with beams of speeding protons, and the radiation emitted from the radiated sample is analysed to establish its chemical and particle content.

This way, it becomes possible to learn the initial colour of the painting.

The team is applying Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), which means that characteristic X radiation, emitted from atoms as a result of ionisation of the inner atom layers, is registered on the beam of protons from the electrostatic Van de Graaff accelerator.

The energy of the registered radiation provides information on the type of particles, while the intensity indicates its concentration in a given sample.

Dr Pawlowski said modern atomic physics has provided a valuable research tool to collect the "pieces of the puzzle".

"Work on this has only started and it is difficult to predict its results. However, we have very high hopes," the Polish Press Agency quoted Dr Pawlowski, as saying.

ANI