Ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls can be damaged by fungi
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Wasabi steam is powerful enough to kill fungi growing on painted papyrus pieces without damaging the fragile craft or altering the appearance of the vibrant colors.
A unique disinfection strategy could help archaeologists and museums preserve documents written on paper made from the papyrus plant, which has been used for thousands of years in ancient Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire. “Biological degradation of papyrus is a global problem,” he says. Hanadi Saada At the Grand Egyptian Museum in Egypt.
Fungi can damage delicate papyrus, but some disinfectants can be harmful as well. So Sarda and his colleagues are researching less irritating, “greener” treatments. In this experiment, a paste of wasabi (a popular Japanese seasoning derived from a plant related to horseradish and mustard) was mixed and placed on aluminum foil next to a papyrus sample.
Instead of risking historic papyrus artifacts, researchers prepared replicas for experiments. Samples of modern papyrus were painted in different colors such as red, yellow, and blue and heated in an oven at 100°C (212°F) for 120 days to simulate the natural aging of papyrus over 1000 years. . Finally, they were exposed to several fungal species known to parasitize archaeological papyri.
After 3 days, wasabi treatment removed the fungal contamination without affecting the pigments of the papyrus samples. A follow-up test 1 month later showed the same results.
Current papyrus storage methods include folders lined with special blotting material to protect against changes in humidity, which it says is a “passive method to prevent fungal growth and deterioration.” I am. jessica byler At the Penn Museum in Pennsylvania.
However, Beiler acknowledges that using standard methods does not always guarantee fungal prevention, and that is why “our team of conservators is working to improve the environment in the field of conservation.” I'm interested in learning more about innovative technology.”
A team at the Grand Egyptian Museum is planning to use wasabi treatment on archaeological papyri. The researchers also plan to test whether the spicy condiment is equally effective at disinfecting other crafts made of wood, paper and textiles.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
