A Multi-Analytical Approach for the Characterisation of Pigments from an Egyptian Sarcophagus Cover of the Late Dynastic Period: A Case Study

This work is concerned with a multi-analytical identification of the colour palette utilised in the decoration of the cover of an Egyptian sarcophagus dated to the Late Dynastic Period and belonging to a private collection. In this study, six different points were analysed with a portable Raman spectrometer; then, in these same points, six micro-fragments were taken from the sarcoph-agus for laboratory analysis performed by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dis-persive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDXS), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and visible induced luminescence imaging (VIL). Raman spectra collected in situ showed the characteristic bands of calcite, red ochre and black carbon. SEM-EDXS analyses highlighted the presence of a copper-based pigment in the light blue, blue and black fragments; then, the ATR-FTIR spectrum of the light blue sample only displayed the peculiar bands of Egyptian blue. The latter result was confirmed by VIL analysis, which successfully identified the same pig-ment in blue-black fragments as well, leading to the possible authentication of the finding. Moreo-ver, the presence of calcite, red ochre, green earth and some organic material was assessed by FTIR spectroscopy, confirming some of the results of in situ Raman analyses. Regarding organic materi-als, whose investigation is still ongoing, some hypotheses were made on the basis of their FTIR spectra.