Ebony or not Ebony? Use and Identification of Black Woods in Ancient Egypt. Overview and Case Study from the Western Wadis Archaeological Mission, Luxor Region, Egypt

The ancient Egyptian term “hebeni” is traditionally translated as “ebony” and refers to dense, black woods used in prestigious furniture, but the precise identification of these black woods is not so simple and raises questions about the trade routes used to acquire them. This paper examines questions of provenance for hebeni wood, as well as its various iconographic representations and uses. It explores the imitation of these black woods in Egyptian material culture and the import of objects made from them into Egypt. Crucially, the study tackles the anatomical identification of these dark woods, showcasing a protocol successfully tested in the field. Xylological analysis to precisely identify these species is challenging due to limited access to archaeological material and the inherent hardness of these woods, which complicates traditional sampling. This paper presents a field-tested analytical protocol that overcomes these limitations, enabling identification of dense woods. We present results from analyses conducted on blackwood furniture discovered by the Egyptian-British Western Wadi mission (MoTA/NKRF) in Luxor’s West Bank, shedding new light on the identity of ancient Egyptian “hebeni”.