Ink from Ancient Egyptian Papyri Contains Copper

No unique ink signature

The studied papyri fragments all form part of larger manuscripts belonging to the Papyrus Carlsberg Collection at the University of Copenhagen, more specifically from two primary sources: the private papers of an Egyptian soldier named Horus, who was stationed at a military camp in Pathyris, and from the Tebtunis temple library, which is the only surviving large-scale institutional library from ancient Egypt.

“None of the four inks studied here was completely identical, and there can even be variations within a single papyrus fragment, suggesting that the composition of ink produced at the same location could vary a great deal. This makes it impossible to produce maps of ink signatures that otherwise could have been used to date and place papyri fragments of uncertain provenance,” explains Thomas Christiansen but adds:

“However, as many papyri have been handed down to us as fragments, the observation that ink used on individual manuscripts can differ from other manuscripts from the same source is good news insofar as it might facilitate the identification of fragments belonging to specific manuscripts or sections thereof.”

According to the researchers, their results will also be useful for conservation purposes as detailed knowledge of the material’s composition could help museums and collections make the right decisions regarding conservation and storage of papyri, thus ensuring their preservation and longevity.

Contacts and sources:
Egyptologist Thomas Christiansen
The Papyrus Carlsberg Collection
CoNext – Copenhagen University and Neutron and X-ray techniques

Professor Sine Larsen
Department of Chemistry
University of Copenhagen