NEW MATERIALS FOR ENHANCING THE DURABILITY OF MURAL PAINTINGS OF THE TOMB OF QEN-AMUN TT 93, LUXOR, EGYPT.

The aim of this research is to study the main deterioration aspects and evaluate the treatment of mural painting at the Tomb of Qen-Amun TT93 dating back to the 18th dynasty, New Kingdom (c. 1550-1069 BC.), in the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor. In this study, the surface of deteriorated mural paintings were investigated using PLM, TEM investigation of the eggshell nanoparticles, XRD analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX. To our knowledge, it is the first report on the mixture of the ethyl silicate and the egg shell nanoparticles application of mixture for the treatment of deteriorated mural painting surfaces in the Tomb of Qen-Amun TT93. The samples were collected from the fragment of wall painting, painted with the depiction of two women, Tomb of Qen-Amun (TT93). The obtained results showed that the structures fragment of wall painting included three layers from the top to bottom: yellow pigment, fine plaster, coarse plaster composed of quartz, clay minerals, iron oxides, and plant fibers. The results illustrated that the mixture was highly effective at consolidating cracks, and the appearance of the treated surfaces was. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]