Multi-technique characterization and conservation of an ancient Egyptian fabric from King Khufu first solar ship

Abstract

Textiles are among the most fragile artefacts in the world. They have been difficult to preserve even in the best circumstances. Herein, we studied an artefact fabric of a special nature in terms of usage. Despite the multiple applications of textiles, the piece understudy is one of the unique pieces that the ancient Egyptian used as fenders for King Khufu first solar boat which is the second-largest discovery in Egypt history. The boat was discovered inside a limestone pit. It was disassembled and arranged in several layers. Four pillows of wrapped fabric were found in the first layer, which were used as boat fenders. This use is in itself a great discovery of the role played by textiles in the manufacture of ancient boats. Thus, we conducted tests and analytical studies of those fenders using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and an optical microscope to identify the type and nature of fibers, spinning method and aspects of damage. Both energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and infrared analysis (FT-IR) were employed to explore the elemental content of the sample and to study the functional groups of the fabric. These analytical processes were useful in carrying out the restoration and preservation work necessary for the artefact under study.