Blue Pigment

spectrum obtained on the same sample. (c) A SEM micrograph of the plaster shows the large grains of quartz together with the main components of the plaster of fine grains of dolomite and slightly large ones of gypsum. (d) An EDS spectrum obtained on the same sample.
Figure 5. (a) Micro X-ray fluorescence spectrum obtained on a dark blue grain in the blue paint layer (sample Ha. A). (b) A Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectrum recorded on the blue pigment sample (Ha. A).
H. H. Marey Mahmoud wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/sia Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Surf. Interface Anal. 2012, 44, 1271–1278 1276 under study. The optical examination of cross-section samples offered important information about the stratigraphy of the

The analyses used in this work provided information about the stratigraphy and microstructure of the paint layers and their chemical compositions and was helpful to detect some chromatic alterations of the pigments. The examined blue pigments were identified as Egyptian blue (cuprorivaite,
CuCaSi4O10). The results indicated that a leaded bronze scrap was used to produce the pigment rather than copper ore as the source of copper. The underlying ground layer was characterized as gypsum, whereas variable amounts of dolomite were also found in the samples. In conclusion, the present work gives preliminary information on pigment samples of temple’s wall paintings from an extensive investigation that is in progress. The obtained results draw an overview on some painting materials used during the
Ptolemaic era of ancient Egypt.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to Dr. L. Papadopoulou, Department of
Mineralogy-Petrology-Economic Geology, School of Geology of
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece for her assistance through the investigation of the cross sections.
References
[1] F. Coppens, Temple festivals of the Ptolemaic and Roman