Ancient Egyptian Restoration Practices in the Second Intermediate Period: An Archaeometric and Textual Study

This paper was presented at the YRA Workshop 2025 in Budapest.

During the politically fragmented Second Intermediate Period (c. 1800–1550 BCE), temple and tomb restoration served both technical and ideological functions. Literary inscriptions record royal and priestly mandates to repair sacred architecture, yet little is known about the actual materials and techniques employed. This study combines epigraphic analysis of restoration texts (e.g. stelae of Amunrepair commissions) with archaeometric investigation of surviving mortar and pigment samples from key Second Intermediate sites (Abydos, Karnak, Luxor). Petrographic microscopy and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses reveal a consistent use of locally sourced Nile-sediment limestone fines in repair mortars, mixed with a gypsum binder. Raman spectroscopy of painted relief fragments identifies iron-oxide red and Egyptian blue pigments applied both in original and renewed coatings, while SEM-EDS shows traces of plant-gum adhesive. Textual evidence often refers to smꜥwy (“restorer”) and qd (“re-built”), underscoring the ritual significance of “renewal” alongside structural repair. By correlating these material findings with the chronological and administrative details in the inscriptions, the paper demonstrates how restoration functioned as an expression of royal legitimacy and community identity under divided rule. This interdisciplinary approach not only reconstructs ancient technical know-how but also highlights the continuity of restoration traditions that maintained Egypt’s cultural memory during periods of upheaval.

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