Restoration and Reassembly of the Shattered Stone Sarcophagus Lid of Sanit from the Late Period - 26th Dynasty, Preserved in Museum Storage at Saqqara

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 faculty of archaeology fayoum university

2 Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.

3 Director General of Saqqara Antiquities Restoration

4 Full-time Professor of restoration and conservation

Abstract

Eighteen stone pieces representing the limestone lid of Sanit’s sarcophagus were received, making it necessary to assemble these fragments to preserve them from loss and restore the lid as one piece. This assembly process will stop the deterioration and damage to the stone components of the lid.

The limestone lid of Sanit was received in museum storage number (2) in the Saqqara. The lid dates back to the 26th Dynasty of the Late Period when officials of the 26th Dynasty were buried in Saqqara. Sanit was likely a high-ranking official of this dynasty. In 1921, the archaeologist Firth discovered the double-shaft tomb of Nefer-ib-Ra Sanit/Wah-ib-Ra. Upon opening the tomb, the sarcophagus lid was shattered into many pieces and transferred to a secondary storage facility with a worn wooden roof in the Saqqara area.

The lid was later moved again to museum storage number (2) due to its severely damaged state, as it consisted of separate stone pieces, some large, some medium, and others small, along with missing sections.

A visual inspection of the lid was conducted to initiate the restoration process. A polarized microscope was used to identify the components of the lid, and a scanning electron microscope was employed to identify the lid's components and examine the morphology of its surface. Additionally, X-ray diffraction analysis was utilized to determine the composition of the stone from which the sarcophagus lid was carved. Stainless steel rods were used in the assembly operations, along with epoxy adhesive (Araldite 110).

The assembly of Sanit’s sarcophagus lid demonstrated that epoxy adhesives are effective for bonding limestone, especially in cases involving heavy and large stone blocks. The use of stainless steel rods also ensured the secure assembly of these massive fragments while minimizing the risk to the lid's pieces, thus contributing to their preservation.

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