Multi analytical study on Khol residues from the ancient Egyptian city of Assiut

Multi-analytical chemical approaches are nowadays considered an important source of complementary information in archaeological functional studies. Here we report the results of an investigation carried out by means of liquid chromatography-mass-spectrometry (LC-MS), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS) and Raman micro-spectroscopy (μRaman) applied onto residues sampled from ceramic vessels, found in the ancient cities of Assiut (Egypt, Middle Kingdom). These items, characterized by the typical conical shape of Kohl containers, represented an extraordinary opportunity to study, at the same time, well preserved archaeological records and the related contents. Thanks to the combined analysis, it was possible to hypothesize the original recipes adopted to prepare the ancient cosmetic. The profile of the fatty ingredients resulted congruent with the information collected by the archaeologist from the excavation site, regarding the culture and the ancient Egyptian practice of eye-painting. The analysis of the sedimentary material confirmed the provenance of the archaeological record