Beyond animal glue: Paleoproteomic analysis of paint binders and adhesives in ancient Egypt

Despite the wealth of artworks from ancient Egypt in collections worldwide, the number of analytical studies on the organic media used in paints and adhesives is limited, especially because microsamples are often required. In this study, we used mass spectrometry-based proteomics to confidently identify the species and tissues of origin of proteinaceous materials in painted ancient Egyptian artifacts from several collections dating 1425 BCE to 400 CE. Proteomics confirmed the use of glue prepared from the collagen of multiple animals and revealed the presence of plant proteins, including sesame and moringa products, previously undocumented in ancient Egyptian artworks. This prompts additional discussions about the origins of these materials, their symbolic and religious meaning in connection with deities, and their value within the artistic, cultural, and economic contexts of ancient Egypt. Our study demonstrates that combining paleoproteomics results with other analytical methods, archaeological evidence, and textual sources sheds light on expected and more unconventional organic materials in painted artworks from ancient Egypt.