Recipes of Ancient Egyptian kohls more diverse than previously thought

Abstract

Kohl, a dark eye cosmetic, is a well-known part of Ancient Egyptian culture. Modern chemical analyses of kohls have largely found lead-based inorganic constituents, whereas earlier studies argued for a much broader range of constituents. Furthermore, organic materials in kohls remain severely understudied. This raises questions regarding the true diversity of materials and recipes used to produce kohls. We analysed the contents of 11 kohl containers from the Petrie Museum collection in London. The objects selected cover a broad range of times and locations in Egypt. Our multi-analytical approach allowed us to characterise both inorganic and organic components. Our data show that inorganic ingredients in kohl recipes are not only lead-based but also manganese- and silicon-based. Our analyses also revealed that organic ingredients derived from both plant and animal sources were commonly used in kohl recipes and sometimes even represent the main constituent. All these findings point towards more varied recipes than initially thought and significantly shift our understanding of Ancient Egyptian kohls.

History of Natural Ingredients in Cosmetics

“…One of the most distinctive cosmetic preparations used by the ancient Egyptians was kohl [7]. It is a dark cosmetic applied to the eyebrows, eyelashes, and perimeter of the eye.…”

Chemical Modification of Biomarkers through Accelerated Degradation: Implications for Ancient Plant Identification in Archaeo-Organic Residues

“…Biochemical and biomolecular analyses of plant residues from archaeological contexts is a rapidly expanding area of research [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Within this field, biomarkers are particularly useful indicators for ancient plant identification.…”

“…To date, there has been relatively little exploration of the potential and nature of secondary metabolite degradation to occur in plant residues, including resins, gums, tars, essential oils, spices, herbs, and psychoactive plant products. This is despite their widespread application in past medicinal, culinary, sanitary, cosmetic, ritual, and economic contexts [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Here, we investigate the transformation processes influencing the phytochemical composition of secondary metabolites from a selected plant source to gain a fundamental understanding of the chemical alterations associated with chemical degradation processes in ancient samples.…”