Painting Amara West : the technology and experience of colour in New Kingdom Nubia
This thesis presents an investigation of the paints used in domestic and funerary contexts in a pharaonic town in Nubia. Amara West was the seat of the Deputy of Kush, founded during the reign of Seti I, and inhabited up to the 8th century BC. The site retains evidence of painted house walls, paint in ceramic palettes, and raw pigments, as well as painted coffins in the cemeteries. The combination of freshly excavated material with secure archaeological contexts, and the ability to export samples, has allowed an in depth scientific analysis of the inorganic and organic components of the paints to be conducted. This is the first in depth study on the use of colour across an ancient Egyptian town site. The pigments identified mainly sit within the known Egyptian palettes, but three unusual pigments were found: a green earth, a blue earth, and ground bitumen. In addition, petrochemical analysis enabled the geographical source of the bitumen to be identified and molecular analysis detected a plant gum binder. The materials analysis has been combined with ethnoarchaeological interviews and a phenomenological study in order to consider the aims and activities of the people who made and used the paints at Amara West,
Fulcher, Kate
Painting Amara West : the technology and experience of colour in New Kingdom Nubia. This thesis presents an investigation of the paints used in domestic and funerary contexts in a pharaonic town in Nubia. Amara West was the seat of the Deputy of Kush, founded during the reign of Seti I, and inhabited up to the 8th century BC. The site retains evidence of painted house walls, paint in ceramic palettes, and raw pigments, as well as painted coffins in the cemeteries. The combination of freshly excavated material with secure archaeological contexts, and the ability to export samples, has allowed an in depth scientific analysis of the inorganic and organic components of the paints to be conducted. This is the first in depth study on the use of colour across an ancient Egyptian town site. The pigments identified mainly sit within the known Egyptian palettes, but three unusual pigments were found: a green earth, a blue earth, and ground bitumen. In addition, petrochemical analysis enabled the geographical source of the bitumen to be identified and molecular analysis detected a plant gum binder. The materials analysis has been combined with ethnoarchaeological interviews and a phenomenological study in order to consider the aims and activities of the people who made and used the paints at Amara West,
painting west technology experience colour new kingdom nubia present_investigation paint use domestic funerary_context town nubia west seat deputy found reign inhabit site retain evidence paint house wall paint ceramic raw pigment well painted coffin cemetery combination excavate material secure archaeological_context ability export sample allow depth scientific_analysis inorganic organic component paint conduct first depth_study use colour across ancient_egyptian town site pigment identify mainly sit within known egyptian unusual pigment find green earth blue earth ground bitumen addition analysis enable geographical source bitumen identify molecular analysis detect plant material analysis combine ethnoarchaeological interviews phenomenological_study order_consider aim activity people make used paint west