Without Scratching the Surface: Depth Profiling Compositional Muon Analysis of Ancient Faience From Egypt and Sudan

Abstract

ABSTRACT The specific depth‐profiling capabilities of the muonic x‐ray emission spectroscopy (μ‐XES) technique have proved to be effective for examination of the elemental distribution within ancient coins. This ‘layered’ analysis can also be applied to the examination of ancient faience, the production of which can result in distinct layers (glaze, interaction, and body). Initial results also indicated the presence of nitrogen and carbon, something with potential implications for production techniques of these objects. Moreover, by using this method, the samples do not become radioactive. This paper presents a pilot study of this method used on three faience samples, two from the Nubian (ancient Sudanese) site of Meroe (c.350 bce –350 ce ) and one from the ancient Egyptian site of Beni Hasan (c.2055–1650 bce ).