Nesrin El Hadidi

This paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of using filling materials that are used to fill gaps in wooden objects, and their
response to changes in the surrounding environment to evaluate wood gap fillers and choose the best material. As a wide variety of materials, but
most of them were unsuitable for filler mixtures. Specific materials were used, which can adapt to changes in wood size in response to changes in
humidity. This research discusses the results of experiments that were conducted to determine how gap fillers composed of glass microballoons,
microcrystalline cellulose and paper pulp fills are mixed with Klucel G, Paraloid B-72 and methyl cellulose as binders, and respond in various
conditions.

Four concentrations of Klucel E and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) nanocomposite were prepared by adding 10, 20, 30, and 50 ml of 2% (wt./v) CNF to 3% (wt./v) of Klucel E to obtain a 100 ml. final volume of the composite. The composites were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scan- ning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The addition of CNF to Klucel E improved the mechanical properties of the prepared composites; namely the composite which contains 50% CNF showed an improvement in tensile strength by 102% compared to pure Klucel E. Additionally, Young’s modulus, and hardness increased dramatically with the increase of CNF within the composite. To fur- ther evaluate the nanocomposites, CNF 30% and CNF 50%, were used to treat aged wood specimens. The compression strength of the untreated and treated specimen was measured, where the sample treated with Klucel E/30% CNF composite showed the highest compression strength value with an improvement of 14.5% compared to the untreated wood sample.

An ancient Egyptian wooden obelisk heavily invaded by insects has been received at the Fumigation Labora-tory at the Grand Egyptian Museum. The conservation treatment presumed conducting a modified atmos-phere treatment for pest control and some stabilization interventions, thus, certain physicochemical tests were necessary. The multi-instrumental investigations and analyses conducted included optical microscopy (OM), digital microscopy (DM), technical imaging (TI), and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) to identify the wooden substrate and pigment traces. The aim was to identify the constituents of the obelisk to undertake the minimal necessary interventions and to stabilize its state of conservation using the most suitable intervention materials and techniques. Archaeological background, historical significance, and manufacturing technique of obelisk was reported. Results showed that the obelisk was made of Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa) wood and contains traces of white pigment identified as gypsum, blue pigment identified as Egyptian blue, and black pigment identified as bone ivory.

One of the baskets preserved in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, that appears to be suffering from various deterioration aspects was chosen for this paper, in order to document and record the different features of damage, as a preliminary step for its treatment and conservation. The basket, which is registered under no. 71 at the museum, was one of the finds from the excavations of Cairo University. The documentation of the basket included photography, Photoshop and AutoCAD figures, in which the aspects of deterioration are featured so that non-specialists can easily identify the decay of the basket.
Fragments that had fallen off the basket were used to identify the plants that had been used for making the basket. By comparing the fragile samples under the microscope with fresh fibers of plants that were commonly used throughout the ancient Egyptian periods for making baskets, it was possible to prove that the basket was composed of palm fronds. The wide distribution of date palms in ancient Egypt has been previously confirmed, according to numerous archaeological discoveries, since prehistoric times. Seeds and dates, as well as products manufactured from different parts of the date palm tree have been found on archaeological sites; e.g. baskets, mats, sieves, brushes, ropes and fruit-bearing stems, in addition to the frequent appearance of two types of palm trees in ancient Egyptian mural paintings and inscriptions.
The results of the examination and analysis of the basket indicated that the palm fronds, that had been used in manufacturing the basket have distinctive chemical and physical characteristics, and by studying these characteristics and the extent of the deterioration that occurred over the centuries, it was possible to specify the chemical changes of the functional groups of the plant fibers with the aid of FTIR analysis. These results should aid, in the near future, conservators to perform various treatments to strengthen decayed fibers using some appropriate natural materials, and then prepare reports in which they document the stages of “before - during - after” conservation, which could be a reference for anyone working in the field of plant fiber conservation and treatment.

This study focuses on one of the early examples of using the human shape in the third inner coffin. An ancient Egyptian anthropoid wooden coffin belonging to the Egyptian prince Amenemhât from the Middle Kingdom, Twelfth Dynasty - was found in Deir El Bersha, Egypt in separate parts (Kamal 1902, 14) in 1900 and was reconstructed sometime after it was transferred to the Museum in 1916.
The aim of this study is to document the structure and materials used in making the coffin. Preliminary investigations confirm that the anthropoid coffin of Amenemhât was made of sidr wood (Ziziphus sp.), the use of which has been documented only infrequently in complete wooden coffins.
The feasibility, effectiveness, and overall value of portable X-radiography were proven during the study of the coffin. It helped identify both the structure and the previous incompatible conservation, in which a large number of screws and nails had been used to reconnect the wooden elements. The detached wooden parts that had been joined together were covered with a paste to hide the previous restoration. On the left side of the head animal glue and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) were identified using XRD and FTIR spectroscopy.
Digital photography and ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) imaging were used in the documentation of the wooden coffin.
Samples were studied under both optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to obtain a more detailed observation of the condition and physical characteristics of the wood.

Investigations in the basement of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo led to the rediscovery of a coffin lid of unknown provenance belonging to smA-tAwy son of iaH-ms (JE.36806). The lid was covered with two textile layers made from linen that do not belong to the coffin lid. According to the excavation Journal of Otto Rubensohn, the coffin was found in a family tomb at Abusir el-Meleq, Northern Middle Egypt. This study aims to confirm that the coffin lid dates back to the Ptolemaic period and that its base is exhibited at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo with a different number (TR. 25/8/19/3). Non-destructive methods (Portable X-ray radiography, Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy coupled with Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR) were used to identify tool marks and carpentry technology used during the Ptolemaic era in ancient Egypt. The lid was composed of six pieces of Tamarix sp. wood that were joined together with scarf joints and wooden dowels. Only the outer surface of the lid was covered with ground preparation layers that had been applied directly on the wooden support by brush, hiding any tool marks that were clearly obvious in the inner side of the lid. The detailed study of the coffin that was made in the necropolis workshop is a good example of woodworking techniques applied during that period.