Analysis of an egyptian mummy resin by mass spectrometry

Fast atom bombardment combined with mass spectrometry (FAB/MS), high resolution FAB/MS, FAB tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were used to determine the composition of the resinous material recovered from the wrappings of an Egyptian mummy believed to be from the Roman period (100–350 A.D.). FAB/MS and MS/MS studies identified several oxidation products of abietic acid as the principal resin components, indicating that one or more species of coniferous trees were used by the Egyptians as a source of the resin. GC/MS studies also identified several n-alkanes with carbon numbers from C₁₉ to C₃₃ in the sample. The relative amounts of these n-alkanes, along with characteristic trace metals, indicate that bitumen, an asphalt native to the region, was added to the resin. The presence of this ancient source of carbon in this sample explains the inconsistent date assigned to the mummy by carbon-14 analysis.