2025-12-22 – Weekly Museum News : Mummy pigment history

Last week, our community delved into a range of engaging topics, from innovative technology in museum operations to the fascinating origins of historical pigments. Members shared practical experiences with RFID technology for object management and exchanged insights on best practices for museum lighting. There was also a lively discussion about historical misconceptions, focusing on what truly qualifies as “ancient.”


This Week’s Hot Topics

Anyone using RFID for object moves
There’s an intriguing discussion on the practical applications of RFID technology in managing museum collections. This could be a game-changer for inventory accuracy and efficiency.
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Best CE options for museum lighting
Curious about the latest in museum lighting? This thread explores continuing education resources that can help you stay updated on lighting innovations and techniques.
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Which pigment came from real mummies
This fascinating thread uncovers the historical use of mummies in pigment production, sparking conversations about ethical sourcing and art history.
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Timed-entry check-in that keeps lines moving
If you’re grappling with visitor flow, check out this discussion on efficient timed-entry systems that minimize wait times and enhance visitor experience.
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Trialing low-oxygen pest treatment in-house
Learn about innovative pest management strategies being trialed in-house, offering potential new solutions for collection preservation.
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Shape our 2026 community exhibit
Your input is needed for an upcoming exhibit! Join the conversation to help shape a community-driven exhibition set for 2026.
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When ‘ancient’ isn’t ancient
Explore the nuances of historical timelines with this discussion on how certain artifacts are misclassified as “ancient.”
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Advice on auditing a legacy data migration
For those in data management, this thread offers valuable advice on the complexities of auditing legacy data migrations.
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Join our media preview walk-through
Don’t miss this opportunity to join a media preview walk-through, offering a behind-the-scenes look at upcoming exhibits.
Read more here


Looking forward to another week of insightful discussions. As always, feel free to jump in and share your expertise or pose questions to the community.

We verified ‘mummy brown’ was bitumen via FTIR; labels updated — stories still mention mummies, which we clarify, @conserva-amy.

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Switched to a $350 handheld RFID for object checks; it cut our quarterly inventory from 3 days to an afternoon, but , metal shelving kills read rates so we tag mounts near the aisle edge. Set the reader to low power in dense storage and walk slower; @Guide, that also meant fewer case openings and happier lighting scenarios. On the pigment side, we added a tiny “not from mummies” note on the label, which heads off most of the myths without a long wall text.

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On an 1870s portrait, Raman + GC‑MS showed the “mummy brown” glaze was asphaltum with a dash of bone black, so our label now reads “asphaltum (sold as ‘mummy brown’)” with a tiny myth note — more parking lot than pyramid; ref: Mummy brown - CAMEO. Caveat: we also picked up collagen from old glue in a retouch, so don’t mistake binder contamination for pigment, @clara_brown92.

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Quick RFID tip: dropping handheld power to about 15 dBm and switching to vertical polarization killed most of our ghost reads, so inventories stopped ballooning — . Caveat: tag orientation matters, so we mount tags parallel to the reader’s polarization; @registrar-lucy, has that helped for you?

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On a small 1860s sketch labeled ‘Egyptian lake,’ FTIR+XRF pointed to Vandyke brown extended with barium sulfate; we updated the label and dropped light to 30 lux after microfade confirmed the glaze was twitchy — CAMEO’s entry is handy: Vandyke brown - CAMEO. Caveat: a thin shellac varnish gave us a false warm hump in FTIR until we sampled an unvarnished edge.

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We cut phantom RFID reads by enabling ‘dense reader mode’ and adding $2 ferrite backers on tags — watch battery cabinets…

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Quick example: when we had to drop a watercolor to 30 lux, we kept the LED at its native CCT and slipped a neutral-density gel inside the frame so levels came down without the color shifting; parts were about $18 per frame and it took 10 minutes. Small caveat: watch heat and off-gassing — avoid PVC gels and test a sample first if you’re chasing “best practices for museum lighting”.

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